


The Dragon's Desire

by EttaMills



Category: Xiaolin Showdown (Cartoon)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Amnesia, Dragons, F/M, Kinda?, Lots of Stuff
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-16
Updated: 2016-07-15
Packaged: 2018-07-24 07:17:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 16
Words: 48,120
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7499121
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EttaMills/pseuds/EttaMills
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Chase had every intention of spending his immortality alone. That was, of course, until an actual lost dragon with no memories of her life shows up and shakes his world apart. Rating may change if I decided to get risky. Kimiko/Chase.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Just in case you guy are worried, this is the same story from Fanfiction.net. I'm still the same author, I just have been meaning to post this story on both websites and finally got my lazy butt to doing so. If you are still worried, feel free to drop me a note over there and I will soothe your worries :)
> 
> Chase and Kimiko were my first ship.
> 
> I remember watching this show on Saturday mornings with my brother and saying " I think Chase loves Kimiko", at which point I was rewarded a punch to the shoulder for talking during cartoon time, and trying to make the show all ' lovey-dovey'.
> 
> Well, the joke is on him, because I'm an adult ( sort of) and still maintain my faith in this adorable couple.
> 
> What can I say? I have a thing for the evil guys getting the girl.
> 
> Anyway, this idea has been 4 years in the process. I always remember thinking about this plot line, and I type up new ideas for it from time to time, but I finally found the time and effort to type it all up.
> 
> That is to say, I will be typing it as I go.
> 
> I would also like to explain that, for now, I will keep the rating at T, but it might change if I get the courage to right a lemon for these too later on. We shall see.
> 
> For now, please enjoy. I will try to keep updates regular, maybe once a week, but no promises, as work and life can get busy.

* * *

Darkness.

An endless night surrounded a calm mind

An individual sat in a small, hidden room, with only the sound of a waterfall permeating the deep recesses of his mind.

Breathing in deeply, the man took care to slowly release the pent up air from within, willing all the chaos within his mind to fade away with the warm breath.

For so long, so very long, the man has lived.

He has felt the deep, constricting hold of hatred around his black heart, known the feeling of inner peace and comfort that can only be provided for a moment. Anger, sadness, joy, even the raw feeling of hunger than can only be satisfied by a warm body, the man has experienced and overcome them all.

However, it was not the man part of him that was causing his inner turmoil at that moment.

It was the beast. The ravenous animal that he traded his soul for, that was the source of his troubles.

_It started innocently enough, as all things must._

A stirring of heat over his body, easily hid by his mask of indifference.

Then, a hyper-awareness of every sight and smell around him, which proved quite useful in battles.

It wasn't until the moment he grabbed Wuya as she passed by and pinned her to the table, eyes blazing and pupils dilated so large that the gold was a slight ring around the black, that Chase realized he had a problem and gave the order that all people were banned from his home and that he was not to be disturbed until he sought out their company.

From there, he locked himself in his private chambers, and planned to meditate his desires away.

This was not the first time his animalistic desires tried to take over, and every time, Chase was able to fend off the cravings.

This time, however, he wasn't sure if he could hold himself away.

For this time, he faced a temptation like no other, in the form of a turquoise-eyed, ebony-haired dragon.

Chase wasn't fool enough to consider it love, or even a crush. However, with every meeting of her person, though he pretended she didn't exist and instead played with the bald, round monk, he grew more and more interested in her.

She was fire itself, dancing and quiet and warm when pleased, but quick to grown ferocious and dangerous when handled the wrong way.

The dragon within him so badly wanted to play with her fire, to let her flames lick at his skin until was burning from the inside, out. Yet, he also wanted her to _burn for him._ To squirm and moan, to grow and to be damped out until just a flicker of an ember remained, and then for him to breath new life into her again.

And there lied his problem.

For any other creature, it would be easy enough for him to bring them to their knees, to have them beg for him and be filled with only thoughts of how to please him.

Wuya demonstrated that often enough, with her not-so subtle invitations and innuendo.

Yet, he wanted nothing to do with creatures like that.

He wanted the living flame that was Kimiko Tohomiko, Dragon of Fire and warrior of light.

And she would want nothing to do with his tainted being.

He could offer her anything, jewels, respect, all the power that would come with being the mistress of the darkness. All she would have to do was stay by his side, give herself to him when he requested and leave when she was no longer needed. She could still maintain her place with her friends; no one would really have to know.

She would never, though.

Her loyalty ran deep. If only he had gotten to her first, those loyalties would be his.

She would be his

**_Then she could spend forever as our Empress, our mate . . ._ **

Chase's reptilian eyes snapped open and he jumped in surprise at the way his inner thoughts went.

He wasn't interested in a permanent situation.

He had worlds to conquer, people to enslave, power to gain.

Anything more than a reoccurring night with the same women would just get in the way.

 _Partners only slow you down_ Chase thought, his mind drifting to the ridiculous red-haired witch and her bumbling boy-genius.

Yet, in the back of his mind, a small voice whispered

_**Partners make you weaker. Mates make you stronger** _

Chase quickly rose from his position, and jumped into the small pond in his room. Breaking to the surface, Chase contemplated his next course of action.

He needed a distraction, and soon, before his mind could wander any further.

* * *

Quiet was a rarity in the home of three teenage boys, so when it occurred, Kimiko decided only two things could be happening:

Either something absolutely terrible was about to befall her, like the time Omi discovered her more, racy, underwear and decided to question her on every different cut and style, while Clay and Raimundo hide away in awkwardness.

Or peace on earth had finally occurred, and Kimiko was about to get a well-deserved vacation.

Despite the sever lack of movement on the Heylin side of things, the small Japanese girl decided that the former was more likely, and set out to do damage control.

Peaking down the hallway, she was met with absolute silence. Not even a creaking of the wood to give away the small mice that sometimes scampered along the hallways

(Omi refused to allow her to set traps, despite her objections of sanitation and overall health of the temple, saying that all life must be valued).

Slowly making her way to the courtyard, checking each corner for water-themed traps, sudden quick-sand pits, or small tornadoes ready to mess her up.

In the yard, she found the usual suspects lounging under the large tree. Clay had his hat tipped forward, covering his whole face in the universal sign of 'nap time'.

Raimundo casually flipped through a surfing magazine, not really focusing on any one article or ad, and Omi maintained his usual meditation pose, ignorant of the world around him.

Kimiko stared at the peaceful scene in front of her, half in admiration that they have grown so much that they didn't squabble like children when left alone, half in deep suspicion as to what they were planning.

For, as much as adults as they were, they were still stupid children when it came to teasing her.

" Alright, I give. What are you planning?" she asked, watching each boy turn his attention to her.

Omi cracked one eye to look at the tiny Asian girl.

" Whatever do you mean, Kimiko? We have no plans, as you can tell by our casual cooling"

Clay lifted his hat

" I believe you mean ' chilling', partner" he pointed out.

Rai threw his magazine on the ground and placed his arms behind his head.

" Yeah, what Omi said. Can't we just enjoy a simple moment of peace in-between all the battles and scouting for Shen Gong Wu?" asked the wind dragon.

Before Kimiko pointed out that, no, there is no such thing as relaxing for them, she was interrupted by the appearance of her favorite green dragon

" Well, kiddos. Hope you enjoyed your break, because I feel the presence of a powerful Wu. And by powerful, I mean crazy dangerous."

The young monks gathered around as Dojo unrolled the scroll.

" The Dragon's fang is a powerful and hazardous Wu. One scratch can give the victim great power, but at the price of something else." he explained, snapping the scroll shut in the faces of the monks that leaned closer to take a good look at the picture.

Dojo grew to his giant from, as the dragons hopped on.

" So what kind of power are we talking, here? Strength? Flight? The power to eat as many burgers as you want without getting a stomach ache?" Rai asked, leaning back on to Dojo.

The green dragon was oddly silent, leading to Kimiko leaning forward to look him into his giant eye.

" Dojo?" she asked, voice willed with concern.

" Haha, well, see, I don't really remember. It was so long ago, and no one has had a run in with it in so long. I just know it is something bad. Or maybe good? Like, you get the power to turn live fish into sushi, but give up your fish allergy?" The dragon explained sheepishly.

Kimiko rolled her eyes and the rest of the trip was silent, the team each prepping themselves for a, hopefully, easy mission.

And, truly, it was easy.

No Wuya, No Jack. The only issue came when Kimiko located the Wu hidden in a stream among the rocks and was cut by, she assumed, one of the stones while digging for it.

After properly fussed after by Omi, making sure she would not " totally jack up her digits", they wrapped the fang safely in clothes and watched it carefully the whole ride home.

Once placed in the vault, Master Fung gave them the ' job well done' speech and sent them to bed.

It wasn't until Kimiko finished her bath that strange things began to happen.

At first, it was just her noticing that the cut on her hand had healed.

Chalking it up to some great monk medicines, she planed on asking Omi what was in that salve, then she wrote it off and changed into her usual summer sleep wear, short and a large t-shirt that she received from Clay two years ago. It was so big that it covered her to her knees, and said, " Everything is big in Texas", but Clay had given it to her when Omi had soaked her while practicing with the Orb of Tornami, and she had been wearing a white shirt. Clay, ever the gentlemen, quickly stripped off his shirt and covered her while explaining to Omi the issue and why it wasn't okay to spray a lady with water.

It was a fond memory for Kimiko, who had grown up with no siblings. It felt like she had a protective older brother watching out for her and keeping an eye on an younger brother. Raimundo also felt like a close brother, although lately, he hinted at wanting something more.

However, that problem would be dealt with later.

Right now, Kimiko felt so tired, her vision getting a bit blurry. Thinking the mission must have taken more out of her than she had previously thought, she collapsed into her cot and snuggled into her sheets.

Late into the night, however, she felt more and more uncomfortable.

Pains she hasn't felt since she had hit a growth spurt in seventh grade made her body ache all over, and a heat like none she had ever felt consumed her whole body. It felt like her body was growing and stretching, but that was impossible since, at 18, she have reached her final height, despite her disappointment over her short stature. She also could hear a scratch against her sheets, like nails against fabrics, and resolved to clip her toes and file down her fingers in the morning.

Still, as the hours of darkness wore on, her world began to blur. The room she was in was no longer familiar, and she had trouble recalling where she was and what she was doing.

As her vision began to tunnel and darkness overcame her mind, the only thought that rang clear was

" Have my scales always been this blue?"

* * *

Consciousness came in the early hours of the morning. The clamoring of metal pans woke the young female with a start.

At first, she had trouble understanding where she was.

Actually, the more troubling issue was who she was.

Clawing herself from the darkness provided by the structure she was under, she headed toward the large mirror in the corner of the room.

Staring back at her was an unusual sight.

Deep blue scales were the most outstanding feature she saw. Reflecting the sunlight, shades of indigo and violet were also present as she moved. Standing onto her hind legs, she saw that she could easily reached four feet. Her underbelly was a pale purple, the same shade as the horns protruding from her skull. Still, the most striking features were the large turquoise eyes that stared back at her, with narrow, cat-like slits for pupils, blinking in confusion.

Overall, everything seemed to be in order.

That was her reflection in the mirror.

However, that didn't explain where she was or what she was doing there. Last thing she remembered was . . . nothing, actually.

Determined to get some answers, she slowly slinked into the hallway, towards the noise.

This proved unwise, however.

She entered the kitchen area, to reveal three creatures of different sizes, all hungrily eating. At first, they didn't seem to notice her presence, so she used her tail to loudly hit the wall for some attention.

The air in the room became tense as three pairs of eyes landed on her figure. She stared back, waiting for them to make a move.

Another unwise choice on her part.

The three males sprung to their feet and rushed to the other side of the room.

Expecting to hear them talk and explain the situation to her, she was shocked to hear garbled sounds from their mouths.

However, she could tell that they seemed in distress, and kept pointing at her. She didn't think much of it until the tallest one with narrow green eyes leapt towards her.

That was her queue to run, and as she sped down the hallway, her nimble body quicker than theirs despite her short legs, she shouted that she just needed to help, but they didn't seem to understand. A sudden burst of air whizzed past her face, leaving a cut along her cheek and blasted into the wall ahead of her, forcing her to turn down a different direction, out the door and into the outside.

With her only thought to escape from the dangerous creatures chasing her, she ran until her legs hurt and the blood from her cut leaked into her mouth. She ran as she felt her body burn and ache and the air turned from fresh and crisp, to warm and tinged with the taste of sulfur and something . . . dark.

She ran until she saw a light in the distance and crashed her whole body into what seemed to be a large doorway.

Hearing a loud creak, she looked up with her bleary eyes and looked into the golden eyes of a tall form.

Despite all the other creatures not understanding a word from her mouth, she had to try before she lost all of her strength and gave into the darkness.

" Please . . .help . . . " She growled out, before collapsing into the warm stones beneath her.


	2. Welcome to the Family

Chase Young looked down upon the unconscious dragon that had suddenly appeared upon his door. With his widely known habit for killing and consuming the rare animal, he found himself confused as to why one would willingly enter his territory.

Kneeling down to catch a better look, he noticed something was . . . off about the creature.

It was breathing heavily, and he's toned hearing could detect the rapid beating of it's heart, as if it was still panicking and in danger. There was blood dripping from a wound on its face and its feet were also bruised and swollen from the apparent running it had done.

Upon even closer inspection, he noticed that what he had was not an 'it' at all, but a 'she'.

The differences were small, but his long life had given Chase the knowledge he needed to notice the finer details, such as the feminine curve of her body and the smaller horns and longer tail. Male dragons also had more muscles underneath their rough scales, using force in fights instead of the slyness that was utilized by females.

Chase ran his hands along her to confirm the lack of muscles, and watched as the dragon turn and let out a groan.

He suddenly remembered hearing her faint plea for help before she passed out in front of him.

To any other human, it would have just sounded like a growl and slight hiss. But Chase was well versed in the tongue of the beast.

The Heylin warrior considered his options.

Without help, the dragon would not last long in her current condition. Between the harsh elements of the land he called home, and his feline warriors' fondness of playing with any living creature until they grew bored and ate it, he gave the dragon maybe am hour or two.

On the other hand, what good would a sick dragon do him? He would have to put the time and effort to make sure she was properly cared for until she was ripe enough for his tastes.

Chase sighed and placed his hands under the agile body, lifting it up into his arms and preparing to take it inside, before he was loudly interrupted by a very unwelcomed team.

" Chase! My man! It's been so long! You know your creepy cats have been patrolling your borders and tearing up anything that tries to come in?" the painted boy genius yelled, swooping in from the sky on one of his moronic robots.

Chase made sure to slam the door in the boy's face hard enough to cause some damage, proven with the loud yelp and smell of blood that entered the air.

The boy's crazy witch companion was not to be so easily rid of, however.

She slinked towards him; having some how gotten past his guards and entered his home. Draping her hands over his shoulders, she seemed to think he welcomed her advances.

Ever since he had momentarily lose control of his senses and almost pounced on her, she believed that, under all his malice and hatred, he desired her and it was just her lack of effort that prevented anything from happening.

He growled at Wuya, unwilling to put up with her antics.

" I thought I made my wishes quite clear. No one was to enter my domain unless I called for them."

Wuya gave her usual cackle.

" It is not your wishes I am following Chase, but your desires. For power, for glory, for, " she seemed to ignore the being he currently held close and rubbed herself against his arm, " other worldly desires".

Chase shook her off and headed toward his main chambers to place his, for lack of a better word, guest.

It seemed then that Wuya finally noticed the company.

" Is that what I think it is?" she asked, keeping pace with the dark lord's quick strides.

" Unless you are as feeble minded as your companion, it is. And, preempting another stupid question you are sure to ask, my plan is to have it regain its strength, and then add a new ingredient to my soup." Chase explained.

Wuya glanced down at the creature, watching, as its breaths grew shallower.

" Not sure if it's worth the effort" she critiqued.

Chase ignored her, and upon reaching his chambers, placed the blue dragon down on his silk sheets. Turning to the ancient witch, he lifted an eyebrow and stared down at her.

" If you have nothing else to report, you are excused from my presences and my domain"

Wuya glanced around the room that very few had ever gain access to.

" I was just here to tell you that those ridiculous monks have gained custody of the Dragon's Fang. I sensed its activation, but unfortunately, Spicer took more time than necessary to activate and bring his robot army. They were long gone by the time we had arrived."

Chase refused to surprised by the moronic twosome's mistakes. Suddenly, the name registered in his mind and his whole body heated up at the name of the Shen Gong Wu.

He remembered it well.

Turning to face the dragon on his bed, he gave a wave of his hand, allowing his cats to chase Wuya out and slamming the door behind her.

Leaning closer to her, he examined her carefully. He thought it was odd that a dragon would appear out of nowhere.

Sure enough, there was the taste of something sour in the air around her. A taste he knew too well.

It was magic.

Chase leaned away from her and considered his options.

If this was a normal human, touched by the Dragon's Fang, there were serious consequences to be had. To obtain the power this particular Wu offered, you had to give up something precious to you. And it wasn't something given by choice.

The Fang knew what a person treasured, took it, and left power and destruction in it's place.

The Heylin warrior wondered how such a dangerous Shen Gong Wu was allowed to be lost to the sands of time for so long, before coming to the conclusion that the Xiaolin dragons were ignorant of it's true potential.

Still, a regular human would not be able to handle the force of the Wu. It would eat them from the inside out, consuming their very essence, until they were just a husk. Then it would move on to its next victim.

If that was the case, he was better off locking this pitiful creature away and waiting until it was dust in the wind.

Meanwhile, while Chase was distracted by thoughts of what to do with this unexpected situation, he failed to notice the subtle movements of said creature behind him.

* * *

The young dragon stirred and opened its eyes. As the world came into focus, her surroundings were, once again, unfamiliar.

The last thing she remembered was that she had to run away.

It did not matter that she had no idea where she was going or even who she was, just that she had to get away from those creatures who were trying to harm her.

Lifting her head, she finally noticed the room she was in.

Completely different from the previous room, this room seemed to be carved from darkness itself.

All around, walls of solid onyx surrounded her. A flickering fireplace stood in the corner, giving the room an eerie glow.

She saw that she was placed on a large bed in the center of the room, with a fabric as soft as clouds and red as blood underneath her.

Then, she noticed the figure loomed above her.

He was facing the fireplace, and she watched the flames dance in his golden eyes. Eyes that had narrow slits like hers.

Yet that was the only similarities they held, for it then occurred to her that this creature looked just like the ones that tried to harm her.

The sapphire dragon considered the possible routes she was about to take.

She could alert him to her presences, like before. But it was likely that a similar situation would result.

However, she had no idea how to get out of there or where to run to.

Overall, she decided she would take her chances and distract the creature while she escaped.

Tensing all the muscles in her body, she leapt toward the figure and bared her fangs, hoping to draw blood.

Unfortunately, he was too quick. Grabbing her by the throat, he raised her above his head and glared at her.

Despite her knowing that it would probably do her no good, she tried to choke out a threat.

" Release . . . . . me."

His grip grew stronger around her throat, and though she struggled and thrashed, she couldn't get away.

" After you asked for my help and received it, you would run from your savior?"

The dragon stopped her movements, so surprised was she that she could understand his words.

After a moment of stillness, the man loosened his grip.

" Now now, nothing to say?" he asked with a smirk.

She didn't like his tone, but spoke to him never the less.

" I don't know why you can understand me or I you, but please let me go. I mean no harm."

The male 'tsked' at her and moved her back into the bed, still pinning her down by her throat.

" We speak the same tongue, young one. And I would not call you aiming to rip apart my throat harmless."

Letting her go, he watched her scrambled away from him.

" Creatures like you tried to harm me. I was just protecting myself. I was not really aiming to kill."

She had no real obligation to explain, but if he was telling the truth and had helped her, she might as well be truthful in return.

The man narrowed his eyes and crawled closer until she could feel his breath upon her body.

" There are no creatures like me. This is just one form of mine. Called humans"

" Well, humans have caused me a large about of trouble in the small time I have been around" she replied, refusing to back away.

The man leaned back.

" Where have you been before that?" he questioned.

The dragon looked around, unsure of what to say. Finally, she signed and relaxed her body against the soft material beneath her.

" I remember waking up this morning. I don't know where I am from, or where to go. I'm lost, I suppose. It isn't normal, is it?" she asked, turning towards him. " I know the names of things and how to speak and act. I know that it was morning, and now it is night. But I have no name, not for what I am or my particular being."

The man stood from the bed and walked to his door, not looking back at her. Opening the door, he spoke in hushed tones to whoever was waiting outside, before closing it again and turning to look at her.

" I cannot give you all your answers. But you are called ' dragon'. Those of your kind are found in cultures all over the globe, but here, in China, you are revered, but considered a mythological creature. Humans do not believe in you anymore, except those privy to the truth." he replied, standing still and peering at her with those golden eyes that unnerved her.

Moving towards the man, she perched herself upon the side of the bed.

" If I am a dragon, and human are the ones who attacked me and do not believe in me, what are you, who knows so much?" she questioned in a slow tone.

A tense moment passed. Then, before she could prompt him again, his whole form grew.

Scales grew through the heavy armor he wore. A tail and snout grew, and those cold eyes seemed to smolder and turned animalistic, especially when they set their sights upon her.

She wanted to recoil, but he was upon her before she could move.

Hot breath rolled over the side of her face, and she could hear the snap of his large fangs as he spoke.

" I am more than you can understand, little dragon."

Suddenly, a brush of air blew past her and the man was once again standing before him, sans clothes of course.

Modesty, however, was a human quality. She stared blatantly at him, unsure of how to react.

Fear was the strongest emotion, but confusion and curiosity were also swimming through her head.

It wasn't until a scratching upon the large doors interrupted their moment, that the dragon looked away, watching as the man, now wearing long black pants, went to answer it.

She watched as large cats pushed a cart of savory smelling food towards here. They bowed to the man and left as swiftly as they came.

In that moment, the dragon wondered what she had gotten herself into.

* * *

Chase watched the azure dragon lean toward the food he had his servants bring in, her eyes glazed in desire, but still weary of him.

There was something odd about this creature

A weak human would be drained in a few hours by the Fang.

A strong human might last up to a week, but start feeling the effects as soon as a few days.

This one, however, seemed to be growing stronger.

It was like she was embracing the power. Still new to it, she held no idea what she had brewing within her. Yet she was adapting. Growing with it, incorporating it to her very being.

That kind of power, with the right tutelage, could be very useful to him.

 _He had been looking for a distraction anyway, and this young one could provide it in many different ways,_ Chase though, appraising the way her scales flickered in the light and the lithe way her body moved, like a dancing flame.

Approaching her, he grabbed a platter containing raw meat and vegetables.

As he offered it to her, he observed as she leaned in, opening her hungry mouth and revealing rows of sharp, white fangs.

Suddenly, he pulled it away from her and watched in amusement as her jaw snapped around empty air.

Her glare held promises of pain for him, which entertained him to no end.

" Nothing is free, little dragon. If you wish for food and shelter, you must give something in exchange." he explained, carefully picking up a thick morsel of meat and dropping it into his own mouth.

" What do you want? I have nothing to offer but myself." she replied, looking angrily at him as he chewed.

" And that is precisely what I want. I want to train you to fight and control yourself and all you have to offer. In exchange, you will give me your unwavering loyalty."

The dragon looked away from him, obviously displeased.

" I am not so easily bought, with only the promise of food and a warm bed," she snapped.

Chase placed a finger under her chin to force her to look at him. She looked like she was seriously considering biting his finger off, but thought better of it and settled for a glare.

" I am not just offering my hospitality and all that it offers. I am offering you a place to belong. A home"

Her sharp turquoise eyes soften at the thought.

" . . . Do you swear not to abandon me the minute I displease you? I foresee that happening often." she replied, not breaking eye contact.

" I swear to you. Do you give me and only me your uttermost loyalties?" he replied.

A firm nod was all it took.

Placing a finger upon her mouth, he gently ran a finger over one of her glistening fangs, cutting through his skin and letting a drop of his blood soak through, watching as she swallowed.

" Welcome home, Lan-Ying" he said, standing up and giving her access to the banquet before her.

Striding to the door to leave her to her peace and to get use to her new surroundings, he turned to her one last time.

" I am Chase Young. Call me Master when we train or in front of company."

With that, he disappeared out the door.


	3. Lava

Once the newly christen Lan-Ying had eaten her fill of the feast Chase had prepared for her, she curled into a ball on the warm bed and fell asleep to the comforting sound of the crackling fire.

A loud scratching sound against the wooden doors is what eventually woke Lan-Ying from her slumber. She was still tired from her exhausting previously day, but some part of her told her to rise now, for sleeping in was a lazy way to begin her training.

Slithering down from the bed, she watched as a large lion entered the room and began to stare her down. He was an intimidating sight, with his intense white color and bright ruby red eyes. Every muscle in her body clenched and she mentally began to plan how to fight the larger beast, when it surprised her by bowed before her.

Cocking her head in confusion, she watched the cat raise and exit the room. It took a few moments before she realized that she was expected to follow him.

Peaking out from the door, she watched the tip of the lion's tail disappear behind a corner, and hurried to chase after him when it was clear he was not planning on waiting on her.

The clicking of both of their long claws against the marble flooring was oddly menacing, with the blue dragon feeling as though she was being lead to her doom.

Eventually, they came to two large, red doors that reached from floor to ceiling. Both creatures stared at the doors, Lan-Ying unsure of what to do, while the lion waited for the dragon to make her move. Realizing she was not planning on going anywhere, he bumped the dragon hard, sending her flying through the doors and landing ungracefully at the feet of the lord of the castle.

The doors slammed shut behind her, leaving her to stew in her humiliation.

A foot under her chin lifted her face to look into the displeased eyes of her new sensei.

" I expect you up and prepared for training at dawn. Any tardiness will result in discipline," removing his foot, Chase walked away, giving her the space to lift herself up.

" Understood" she growled out, annoyed at the fact that she was getting attitude for not doing something like predict the man's desires.

Bracing herself on all fours, she rose and looked towards the man who had declared himself her new master. He had been dressed in his usual armor when she came in but now was removing it piece by piece.

" Why don't you just snap you fingers and change like before? It would be less time consuming."

Chase did not replied, just continued to disarm.

While he carried on doing that, Lan-Ying assessed the room she was in. It was very large and circular. Columns stretched to the ceiling, which was covered in black stalactites. The light in the room came from the torches lit all along the wall.

Overall, her impression was that it was daunting and warm in the room.

Looking back, she saw that Chase had finished removing his outer layers and was now sitting on the floor in his under layers, eyes firmly shut and still as a statue.

Lan-Ying slinked over to him and rested right in front of his face.

" What are you doing?"

Chase cracked open one golden eye, looking at the curious dragon before returning to his previous demeanor.

" What you _should_ be doing. Today, we are focusing on deep breathing exercises. All forms of strength come from the ability to control one's own body. If you cannot control your breath, you cannot live or fight," he replied.

" Fold yourself in, like how I have my legs. it will ground you to the earth Then, just breath in deep. Feel the air circulate within yourself. From your head to your feet. Your blood, your heart, your soul. Then let it out, along with every other thought in your mind. There is nothing but you and the air. Like a flame, it gives you life."

Unable to get into the exact same position as him for obvious reasons, Lan-Ying managed to coil her lower half and hold her upper body straight. Closing her eyes, she waited for instruction. After a very long moment of silence, her impatience got the better of her.

" So is that what you meant by training? To fight? Because you were not exactly giving details yesterday," she asked, re-opening her eyes to stare at him.

" Yet, you were quick to make a deal. And calling it fighting is a vast understatement. I am going to train you to control yourself. First through physical means, then we shall work on your underlying powers."

Opening both of his eyes, he shot the blue creature a glare.

" Apparently, though, we must work on your patience first. Since you do not seem eager to learn what I want to teach, maybe it is best to tire yourself out first."

Lan-Ying was about to point out she has plenty of patience, when lightening was shot at her feet. A spark flew throughout her body, not overly painful, as if it was a warning.

She flew back in a mass of limbs and her long tail, landing on the ground a few feet away. Looking at the man like he had lost his mind, she was unable to retort because she had to dodge the next bolt of lightening.

Flinging herself onto the wall, she was relieved to find her claws were long enough to dig into the stone and keep her suspended.

" What are you _doing_? Are you trying to kill me?" she yelled, as he paced like a trapped cat beneath her.

" I believe young humans call this game " The Floor is Lava". The goal is for you to stay off the ground," Chase calmly explained, before aiming and sending another bolt her way.

Lan-Ying barely managed to dodge.

" If I only have to stay off the floor, why are you shooting at me when I am on the wall?" she shouted down to him, breathing heavily. She had managed to latch herself to one of the stalactites from the ceiling.

"To teach you how to wait. Stay up there until I say so. If you fall, no one will catch you. If you try to move, I will shoot you, and I won't purposefully miss like before."

With that, he went back to his meditation poise and the room fell silent.

* * *

Chase fell into a deep calm, still listening to his new apprentice breath above him.

He expected her to last a few minutes, before either her muscles gave out and she dropped, or she voiced her eagerness to be let down.

Surprisingly, hours passed before he gave into temptation and looked up.

The turquoise-eyed dragon had closed her eyes and had wrapped her whole body around the stone. If he did not know better, he would have mistaken her for a decoration carved into the rock ceiling.

" Come down," he ordered.

Watching carefully, Lan-Ying opened her eyes. She untangled herself from the ceiling, but as she made her way to crawl down from the wall, she lost her footing, most likely from using every muscle in her body to stay attaching to the stalactite.

Chase was quick on his feet and caught her before she could hit the floor.

" Well done. Unfortunately, you wasted the morning playing games, so now you are going to skip lunch to catch up."

Lan-Ying looked like she wanted to protest, but decided it was unwise.

Chase left the room, leaving her with instructions to resume her breathing exercises.

Walking to his throne room, the dark emperor was flanked on both sides by two of his generals. While they normally took the form of a large white lion and a sleek black jaguar, he allowed them to maintain their human forms when communicating and discussing plans.

They entered and bowed before him as he ascended his throne. Once he was seated, he raised his hand, allowing the generals to stand.

" Report."

General Stein was the first to step forward. A Viking warrior before his defeat at the hands of Chase, now a brute of a man who excelled in leading his distant forces in the name of conquering the world for his master.

" Your territories are still ever growing. We have recently succeeded in overtaking the western cities on the coast, giving our ports more strength and access to naval fleets. The northern territories are suffering a harsher winter than normal and are requesting aid in the form of more able bodied men and food to be sent at the soonest possible time."

Chase rested back into his seat, nodding General Mao to approach next.

A slight Asian man in imperial armor, he had been fighting for Chase for hundreds of years and was clever and a trusted advisor. He led a team of jungle cats that kept him informed of all current affairs.

" On a more intimate matter, the Xiaolin monks are in a panic. They are sending out threads to weed out information on a missing monk. The official understanding is that the female disappeared in the middle of the night and left no trace. Wuya is using the distraction to plan an ambush during the next Shen Gong Wu activation."

Mao and Stein both waited for Chase to speak before moving again.

" Use the new naval fleet to send 50 warriors and 400 bags of rice, along with any pickled seafood that the western port has to the north. Remind them that this kindness, however, will come at a price before they accept it. "

General Stein gave a quick bow before turning and exiting the room, signaling other cats to go with him.

As the doors shut quietly, Mao turned back to his emperor. The man had leaned his head into his hand and seemed to be in deep contemplation.

" My lord?" Mao asked, unsure of what to say.

Chase stood up and proceeded to descend the stairs.

Moving to walk past the general, Chase stopped when they stood shoulder-to-shoulder.

Chase did not move to face the man, instead keeping his eyes locked firmly on the door leading to his main halls.

" Cut of the Xiaolin's resources. No new information is to be past to them. Keep the Dragon of Fire's disappearance to minimum exposure and alert me when Wuya goes on the move."

A wave of the hand turned Mao back into his feline form, and then Chase moved to get back to his training room.

* * *

Lan-Ying could not get comfortable. Sitting in a straight-backed position was not what her body was made for.

She was made for curling and wrapping. It was why she was able to fall into a deep mediation on the ceiling, with the warmth of the rock underneath her body.

Now, she was just plain sore, but the feeling that, the moment she relaxed, Chase would hit her with lightening or something even worse, was what kept her in the same pose.

She was also having a difficult time regulating her breathing, and could not shake the feeling that she had done these exercises before, which left her feeling frustrated.

All in all, it was a rough time, but she was nothing if not **_patient_**.

And hungry.

The sound of footfalls approaching had her slightly relaxed posture snapping back into shape. Closing her eyes, she hoped to give of an air of tranquility.

She could hear Chase enter the room, shutting the door behind him. Then, she felt, more than heard, him circle her body.

A deep, aggravated sigh escaped his mouth.

" What is wrong?"

Lan-Ying opened her eyes and glanced quickly at the dark-haired man before fixating on a spot across the room. Day one and she was already a disappointment.

" I'm . . . not sure. I can't get the breathing right. I just don't feel comfortable. I feel like I am not comfortable in my own skin. I was much more at ease earlier," she explained, looking up at the spot she had been before.

Chase seemed to be contemplating something, before seating himself across from her.

" Come hear" he said extending his arm towards her.

Unsure of what else to do, she offered her scaled hand to him. Wrapping his fingers around her, he pulled her forward.

She landed with a loud " Oomf" into his lap.

Pulling her close to his body, his firm voice cut through her struggling.

" Wrap yourself around my body like you did on the ceiling, " when she looked at him oddly he raised an eyebrow, " are you objecting?"

" No, Master." she said, before slithering over him until she was completely draped around his body.

In that position, she could feel every movement his body made. She moved as he took his breaths in and out, until the feeling led her to breath in sync with him. Soon, it was as they were of one body, one mind.

Her very being, however, soon felt like it was heating up from her core. Like just being close to him was making her soul lite on fire.

It was that feeling that made both parties separate with alarming speed.

Lan-Ying almost felt embarrassed, before she noticed that Chase was breathing heavily and leaning on the floor as well.

Against her inner voice tell her to leave it alone, she had to voice the question burning in her mind.

" What was _that_?"

She wasn't actually expecting an answer.

" Nothing. Momentarily lapse in control." he replied, still looking like he was struggling, if the marks he was making in the floor were anything to go by.

Lan-Ying almost sneered at the lie.

" I feel like I am about to burst into flames and you actually lost your calm demeanor. Don't lie and say it was nothing."

Chase didn't say anything for the longest time, but Lan-Ying could not decided if it was because he was still fighting for control or because he was trying to come up with a better lie.

Eventually, he stood up, smoothing his hair back, regaining his self-control.

" It is actually rather simple. We are both in heat, and considering you are a physical fit and appropriate female in close proximity, our bodies reacted and prepared to mate. No damage was done. We will just have to be more careful nest time."

The blue dragon did not know how to react. Her first reaction was shock and to run away. Then, she decided that, if he was going to be detached with this, she might as well be too. And it wasn't as if she wasn't curious.

" What exactly is dragon mating like? Is it just because I'm near by or do you have to find me even slightly attractive?"

Chase's posture seemed to grow stiff at her questioning. Just as he began to turn to her, the loud sound of claws running across marble interrupted them.

The large black cat that burst through the doors gave her a passing glace before locking eyes with his master, giving a nod.

Without a word being exchanged between them, they seemed to communicate just fine.

Chase gave a long whistle; having his armor brought to him on the back of the large white lion that had guided her that morning.

Giving the lion the order to wait and watch Lan-Ying, Chase then stormed out of the doors without a word.

Lan-Ying shared a look with the lion.

" So. Where can I get food?"


	4. Discovery

By the time Chase Young had arrived at the scene, both parties had erupted into chaos. Jack Spicer had entered a showdown with the large earth dragon, one that was apparently being fought unfairly, as Jack seemed to have hidden his robots until now, and was using them to gain and advantage. Chase watched as the boys raced across the battlefield, jumping from pillar to pillar towards the Shen Gong Wu situated at the top.

The dragon emperor turned his attention to the two remaining monk as they fought against Wuya's magical attacks. The witch seemed to be taking advantage of the fact that the monks were down in their numbers and was going at them with all she had.

Chase was beginning to lose interest, wondering if he was wasting his time, when the cocky wind dragon said something that provoked him.

" This is your fault, Wuya! I don't know what you did or how you did it, but I **_know_** that you took her and you _are_ going to give. Her. Back!"

Upon a closer look, Chase noticed the tiredness that rimmed both the wind and water dragons' eyes. They looked like that they have had no rest for days.

How curious.

Wuya just cackled in response.

" Maybe she had finally grown tired of keeping company of you simple creatures and moved along."

Another hit landed on the Brazilian boy, winding him while knocking Omi unconscious.

Wuya stood over the supposed leader, her expression not the usual mocking smirk, but one of deadly seriousness.

" I have done nothing, but _will_ take the opportunity given to crush every part of you."

She leaned in closer, and as Chase made his way silently over to the unconscious yellow monk, he heard her whisper.

" You have already begun to lose everything you love. First her, then everything else. One. By. One."

It stopped the Heylin in his tracks.

Thinking back, he had always found the female presence in the temple odd, if not a huge distraction. In his days as a monk, it was unheard of to have a female there, let alone one training to be a Xiaolin dragon. He expected that the male monks would have found any female to be a distraction, but to discover that the leader had actually felt love for the fire dragon?

Chase did not know weather to be amused at the antics, or disappointed that the monk that Wuya claimed to be the next great Heylin warrior was so easily swayed.

He settled for the annoyance that had settled deep in his stomach and continued his trek over to Omi, staring down at him upon reaching the body.

Once, he had fought hard to convince the little monk to fight on his side. Bribes, threats, trick, nothing had worked to obtain his alliance. Chase had mourned the fact that he would lose such an ally.

However, now that he had felt the power of his newest pupil, he felt confident that she would rise to become more powerful than Omi could ever hope to be.

And she was all his to mold and shape to be his perfect tool.

Chase bent down to get the answers he had come for.

" Omi. Awaken. "

When the commanded did not work, Chase picked the boy up and simply shook him until he let out a groan.

" Omi"

The water dragon's eyes slowly came into focus and widened at the sight before him.

" Chase Young?"

Said man rolled his eyes.

" Pay attention. Tell me what has happened to weaken you so."

A pained expression overtook his face, to tired to put up a mask in front of the Heylin warrior.

" Kimiko is gone. We . . . don't know where. Wuya..." Omi's eyes shifted to the witch, who had continued her fight with Raimundo.

" Focus Omi. Wuya has done nothing. Where is your dragon of fire?" he asked, becoming more and more annoyed by the second.

The exhaustion was starting to really take it effect, as Omi began to lose his focus. Still, he seemed to gain some fraction of his sense back.

" We went to get the Wu. The . . . fang. Kimi got hurt. I fixed her," he said with a smile, " Went home. Attacked in the morning. Kimi was gone. . . "

Chase shook the monk with urgency. Something was wrong with this story. Kimiko went to find the fang and got hurt?

A slow heat clawed itself at Chase's whole body. A suspicion that had been nagging at him since hearing of the fire dragon's disappearance began to come to the forefront of his mind.

" Attacked by _what_ , Omi?" he said with an inhuman growl.

The answer set his skin on fire.

" Scales so blue, reminded me of the ocean . . . "

* * *

Meanwhile, Lan-Ying had followed the lion through the long corridors.

Her stomach grumbled with every step she took and she was beginning to wondering if this was a trick and that they were going down the same way over and over.

Turning towards the large feline, she had to look up to be able to see his face, his ruby eyes set straight ahead and sparing her no glace.

She had never really felt her size until then.

Sure, Chase was larger than her, but he was a human, sort of. But to have this lion towering over her, she was beginning to think that she was in some sort of danger if Chase was not around. Not that she was sure that Chase would stop any kind of mauling.

Apparently, her staring was noticed and the lion looked at her with narrow eyes.

" Yes, little dragon?"

Lan-Ying never gave any thought whether the cats around the palace could speak, and somewhere in her foggy mind, she didn't think animals ever spoke.

Therefore, she jumped slightly at the scratchy voice from above her.

" I was just wondering . . . . " she trailed off, unsure if she was okay to ask him anything.

The white lion stopped walking, causing her to pause also.

" Complete your thoughts, young one. Hesitation will lead to your downfall.," he advised.

" Yes. Right. Are we going the right way?"

A sound erupted from the lion's throat and Lan-Ying tensed herself encase it was a warning of a fight. It wasn't until the white feline turned to her, baring his sharp teeth in what she then realized was a smile, that it occurred to her that the terrifying noise was apparently a laugh.

" The palace is large and complex to trick and keep out intruders. But have faith, little dragon, that I have been here for a long while and know my way."

With that they continued their silent walk.

Finally, they arrived at a large room with a long black table encompassing most of it. It was low to the ground, with golden, flat cushions surrounding it.

Following a the nod from her companion, who sat down across from her, she took her place at the table, which she now saw was being laid with large bowls filled with warm broth and meat.

She noticed, for the first time, that the servants placing down the food looked human, except for their distinct, cat-like eyes.

Turning to ask the lion about the previously unseen servants, she was once again take back by the sight in front of her. A large man, covered in various animal skins and metal armor, mix-match together, was now in place of the lion. His white hair in a lose braid down his back and a well-trimmed beard looked at her with a gentle smile that did not fit in with his barbaric appearance.

" You are new to our world, little dragon. Everyone here is not as they seem, not even you. Do not fret or despair, and rest assure that you will adapt quickly."

The so-called little dragon did not have a reply, and so began eating with her companion.

Once they finished eating, the man stood and stretched, giving a shy smile as his bones made loud cracks.

" Apologies. After all these years, my body is not yet over the changes it undergoes."

" You said something before. About your time here. How long have you been with Chase?" she asked, still seated as she watched him.

The man stroked his beard in contemplation.

" Time passes differently for us. I would guess around nine hundred years, give or take a century. "

Lan-Ying's eyes widen at the number.

" N-nine hundred? How is that possible?" she stammered in surprise.

The man gestured vaguely.

" Magic, in some way or another. Do not question it, just embrace it. After all, you are part of our family now."

The term family shook the dragon to her core. It brought up the feeling of longing that cause her to make her deal in the first place.

" I am family? I will live as long as you?" she asked, rising from her position. She strode towards the man, a glimmer of something- maybe hope or astonishment- in her silted turquoise eyes.

The man nodded, before gesturing for her to once again follow him outside the room.

" You are family, but I cannot guarantee your life span. No one has a say in how long they survive in this world. Still, with Master's help, I feel confident that you will become strong. Now than, let us tour the palace while we wait Lord Chase's return. After all, you will need the break before your real training begins." he said with a wink.

With that, Lan-Ying was shown how large her new home really was.

Four dining rooms, each themed after a different culture's traditional dining ways (She was lead to the Japanese one because it was where her companion believed that she would feel most comfortable), 7 bedrooms, a couple of natural hot springs to bath in, and a whole host of training rooms, plus a throne room. By the time they were reaching the end of their tour, Lan-Ying was feeling a bit disoriented.

" Where do you sleep?" she asked suddenly.

The lion, for he had turned back to make her feel more at ease, chuckled.

" There is a sleeping areas for most of the servants. Those who have high positions, like Mao or I, have larger, more private rooms, but we come and go so often on Master's errands, that we rarely use them."

" Mao?" she asked, unfamiliar with any names.

The lion stopped with such suddenness, the dragon crashed into him and fell onto her back.

" I must apologies, little dragon. I have yet to introduce myself. I am General Njord Stein. But, seeing as that is a formal title and we are to see each other often, I request you call me Jor." He gave a flourished bow, which made Lan-Ying smile.

" Happy to know you, Jor."

As they continued to walk, chattering about nothing and everything, Njord gave a small warning.

" I was not joking when I said that intruders were an issue. Some are harmless idiots, like the painted flying boy, some are powerful Heylins and some are dangerous thieves and assassins. Please use caution and do not go unescorted unless you know your exact steps. Traps are hidden for a reason. "

Lan-Ying would laugh later about the irony of her next movement, as her tail flickered against the wall as they turned, hitting a stone that triggered the floor underneath her to open.

As the world around her froze as she descended into a dark abyss, the only thing she saw was Njord reaching for in her panic, an image that faded in the distance, until she saw nothing and felt a cold hard floor knock the breath from her body and the consciousness from her mind.

* * *

Chase left the battle in hurry. He vaguely heard the gloating voice of Jack Spicer ring through the air at his triumph in the showdown, but it was not something that concerned him at that moment.

He should have known better than to assume that a rare creature, showing up at his doorstep and pledging loyalty at a simple promise of a place to stay and belong, was nothing but an odd twist of fate.

Still, he could not believe that he would not notice a Xiaolin dragon harboring herself in his home.

Especially the dragon that had been haunting his heat-induced dreams and causing his body to act on it own.

He had to get home immediately and confirm his suspicions before he could undertake a plan of action.

What would his plan even be?

Kill her and make a fresh pot of soup?

Ransom her to the monks?

Or possibly . . . . . not take any action at all?

Had he not been laminating his displeasure over not obtaining her loyalty?

Now he had it, through a blood contract no less, she had place herself at his mercy, and there was no sides to choose. She had no memories of her Xiaolin fidelities. She was a Heylin now, whether she knew it or not.

The dragon emperor slowed his pace as he approached his home. His feline servants flanked him as he entered through his doors.

General Mao was the first to come to him. He looked in a panic.

" My lord. Lan-Ying has fallen into the dungeon through one of the hidden doors. We have been looking, but cannot locate which section she has fallen into." He said quickly.

Chase gave a sneer at the news and headed into the dark dungeons that housed some of the traitors and thieves that he had encountered in his reign.

When he arrived, he saw that his servants, some in human and some in feline form, were rushing about, giving out noises to indicate that they have not found her yet.

He noted with interest that General Stein looked particularly panicked, and he gave him a glance to insure that they would be discussing why his charge was in this situation.

Chase closed his eyes to concentrate. Slowly but surly, he could feel a faint heat coming from a small, enclosed space located in the deepest part of the dungeon.

He gave no indication to his servants where he was going.

Winding through the dripping, cold halls, he began his final decent to her location.

Suddenly, he felt a change in the air. As he went closer, it became warmer until a heat engulfed him.

Located in a corner, there was his dragon apprentice. She was standing shakily on all fours, and from her mouth erupted flames with every breath she took.

Finally noticing the other person in the room, she looked up at him with blurry, confused eyes.

Eyes that blazed with a blue fire that he recognized from many a showdown with the Xiaolins.

There was no doubt now. Lan-Ying was Kimiko Tohomiko and his new apprentice.

A chilling smile creped over his face and he laughed sincerely, for the first time in centuries.


	5. Warming Up

**_2 Weeks Later. . ._ **

A loud thump indicated her body hitting the ground at a painful speed.

" Again" called a cold voice from above her.

Blue met gold in a challenging look, one pair pondering if they could run to the door and hide away quick enough, and the other expecting a strike at any moment.

Ever since the incident in the dungeons, Chase Young had gone from 'slowly introducing Lan-Ying into his training methods' to ' all out, to the death' matches that left her tired and aching.

Still, she had adapted quickly, her body acting on its own during their sparing matches. Chase was a hands-on kind of master, teaching her through her failures, but it proved effective. She had yet to defeat him, but at least she was causing damage of her own now.

In their latest session, the idea was for her to land at least one blow before she was allowed to retire. It had been _hours_.

Closing her eyes, she slowly exhaled, before whipping up and wrapping her tail around his hand to propel her body over his head.

And advantage she had was that she was fast, faster than any of the felines she often sparred with, but Chase moved in a way that betrayed his years of practice.

Therefore, when she launched herself at her master, he struck her down with barely seen reflexes, aiming a hard hit to her back, and causing a screech to escape involuntarily through her mouth.

The blue dragon attempted to react and began to twist her body to aim another strike, but the pain was more intense than she had anticipated. With a groan, she rolled over to announce her forfeit, which would cost her dearly, in the form of early morning training with no breaks, but she had also learned it was better to accept defeat and plan for retaliation, instead of fighting until you were so weak, the enemy could land a finishing blow.

" That is enough for today."

Lan-Ying was so genuinely shocked; she rotated her neck in a painful snapping motion to look at the emperor. When she saw what had caused him to call of the session, she could not hold back a grin.

He stared hard at her, holding his hand to his cheek, blood seeping from between his fingers. If she looked closely, she could see three individual and deep claw marks underneath his hand.

She must have landed the scratch unknowingly while he was lining up the shot to her back.

" Finally" she breathed, before trying to stand on her paws. Unfortunately, her leg support was shakier than she planned, and she collapsed onto the cold floor.

She had every intention of lying on that floor until she could recover her strength, but instead she felt herself lifted into the air by firm arms.

She would have questioned the Heylin warrior, but she knew he would not give any answer. Their few weeks together had taught her that much.

It was odd, though. Chase had avoided contact with her ever since their first training session.

He gave some vague excuses that he was not in the habit of touching _anyone_ unnecessarily, but Lan-Ying had another theory.

Ever since their first encounter, she had been curious about the whole ' dragon mating' that Chase had talked about.

She tried to weed information out of him, but he refused to answer, often punishing her inquisitiveness with hard training.

She didn't ask just for curiosity sake, but for her own sake as well.

Sometimes, the intense way he looked at her made her shiver and her whole body feel like someone was dipping her in lava. She wanted to both bite and claw at him, and then lick his wounds and curl around him to fall asleep.

There was also this deep ache within her that she couldn't figure out how to fix, but had a sneaking suspicion that Chase could help her.

Soon, as they walked down the hall towards the springs she usually used after training to sooth her muscles and body, she couldn't help but once again feel that ache. She tried to push it down, but whenever she did that, her throat burned and her insides twisted, making her highly uncomfortable.

The doors parted way to let the duo through, and Chase walked her to the hot spring, before slowly lowering her down.

A moan left her mouth as the warm water wrapped around her form.

" I aimed to hit a certain pressure point along your spine. The warm water with help the swelling caused by your landing. Once that goes down, I can release the pressure myself."

Lan-Ying gave a nod, losing herself in the feeling of the pain relieving water. The steam swirled around the room and the only sounds came from the waterfall in the corner, which was becoming more and more distant as her mind became foggy from relaxation.

With her eyes closed, she floated along the spring in a tranquil state, forgetting the pain and aches of the day, even if her back was still throbbing.

Unfortunately, said state was interrupted at the sound of splashing and the feel of the water rippling around another form.

Lazily opening her eyes, she saw the outline of the dark-haired man through the steam.

It took a few minutes for her fogged brain to notice that the man now sharing her bath was very close and very _bare._ Chase had never entered the springs with her. Actually, she wasn't sure when he bathed. After training, he excused her, and then went off to speak with his advisors for hours. Sometimes she would see him at dinner, but more often than not, she spent her time until the next training session alone or with Jor, who watched her like a hawk when they sparred or explored the halls.

So to see him relaxing across from herself, very naked she suspected although the cloudy water hid his lower portion from her eyes, was a shock to her system.

" Um. . . . are you going to stay in the bath?" she ventured.

" Yes. Will that be an issue for you?" he replied, not bothering to open his eyes.

Lan-Ying shifted uncomfortably. It was absurd. Chase trained in just in underclothes, just pants, before. Why was one missing piece of cloth such a difference?

" No, of course not" she said, trying to subtly go back to her former relaxed posture.

Silence overtook them.

On a normal day, she would spend about a hour in the bath, before drying off in her room and practicing her breathing techniques, especially with the fire she discovered she was able to create, until Jor got her for dinner.

But now, Lan-Ying stewed in the water, waiting for Chase to release the pressure on her back.

Glancing over at him, he had not moved from his position sitting calmly in the water, arms spread behind him and eyes closed. He seemed very relaxed.

So relaxed, in fact, that she might be able to finally get some answers.

Slithering her way over to the man, she got as close as she dared before speaking.

" What is mating like?"

Instead of his usual ignorance or rebuff, the man in front of her slowly let out a breath before opening his eyes to set his attention on the blue dragon.

" You have been asking this since you have arrived here. Why do you so desperately need to understand dragon mating habits?"

Lan-Ying shifted closer to perch herself on the edge of the underwater seat next to Chase.

" I can't help it. Ever since our. . incident with my first session, my body has been feeling odd." She turned to concentrate on the waterfall in the corner of the spring, not believing that she could continue the conversation if she had to look him dead in the eyes.

" For weeks, since I woke up one day with no memories or home, I have felt lost and confused. You gave me someplace to go, and I feel more confident in myself, but there is still this huge mystery in my past."

Gathering up her courage, she returned her gaze to the raven-haired man.

" If mating, as a dragon, is apart of what I am, I want to, not necessarily embrace it, but to understand what is going on with my body.

After her impromptu speech, she just stared at him, waiting

It took a few moments, but he never broke eye contact with her, just looked as if he was formulating his reply.

With a quick transition, she watched his form change from human to reptile.

Leaning closer, he replied:

" And what exactly is going on with your body?"

With a loud gulp, she stood her ground.

" I feel so hot. Like my blood is made of lightening and fire. And wherever you touch me, it aches and I just want to get closer."

Chase grabbed her face in his clawed hand, licking his lips and exposing those razor sharp teeth that she had dreams of digging into her scales.

" Let me explain then, young one. It starts just like you described. Heat and aches and yearning for more. Then, when it becomes too much and your body cannot handle anymore, you act on impulse. You grab what you desire." He leaned close and she felt his hot breath on the side of her face.

" I can persoannly testify that you may have no choice in who your body acts on."

An odd, warm feeling overtook her stomach at the thought of Chase acting upon his desire with someone else. She felt annoyed, for some reason.

Still, he continued.

" Then, you get the overwhelming desire to mark your territory. It starts with the scrapping of teeth along the neck, so close that you can feel their pulse."

Lan-Ying shivered at the feel of his teeth.

" Then, when you have found your perfect spot, you bare down."

A sharp intake of breath seeped from her mouth. She felt his jaw surround a part lower on her neck.

" Wouldn't that hurt, or even kill them?" she asked shakily.

A deep chuckle echoed in the room. Chase pulled himself away from her, leaving her both relieved and disappointed.

" Maybe a weaker creature. But for me, any mate of mine would be the strongest and could hand much more than a simple bite" he said with a smirk that left her feeling like she was made of jelly.

" What next, than?" she asked in a daze.

" Well," he began, wrapping claws around her to rest on her back.

" Once the mate is marked. Then the actual mating begins. It would be difficult to put into words, but rest assure that it ends with both parties melting into each other from both heat and gratification"

With one last flick of his long, reptilian tongue against her cheek, his claw dug into her back, releasing the pressure point and sending her into a fit of relief and pleasure.

The young dragon scratch against his back, making no real dent against his tough hide.

Slouching against his hard body, she breathed heavily.

" Is that what you want, little one? For me to conquer you completely? To posses and mark every inch of you?" his whispered to her.

Despite how tempting the offer was, she couldn't let herself submit that easily. It wasn't in her nature.

Using every part of her will power and strength, she placed some distance between them.

" Chase. I won't deny that I desire you. That I want what you are offering. But I have some . . . issues. The foremost being that you, while part dragon, are also a human. You can't possible be satisfied with what I have to give you." she explained, looking truly concerned.

The dragon extracted himself from her form, which allowed her to slump into the water.

"I am many things, Lan-Ying. Selfish is one of the most prominent parts of my personality. If I want something, it will be mine"

The intensity with which he said it with made Lan-Ying wonder if it was lucky that she wanted him as much.

" So the fact that I am your apprentice will not change or be affected?" she questioned.

He assessed her carefully.

" Personal and professional lives are separate. For now, I suggest a mutual release of certain . . . tensions that have been building during our private hours. During training and in public places, we maintain our relationship of master and apprentice."

Lan-Ying pondered the proposal. Nothing would really change. She absolutely knew that if her and Chase were to enter any sort of relationship, it would be purely physical and he would still continue to train her harshly. All that would be different would be that, on her downtime, instead of laminating her body's reactions to her master, she could act on those impulses that haunted her slumber.

Still, she was uncomfortable with some aspects of the arrangement.

" You are only rarely in this form, and I am not sure we are _compatible_ in your normal appearance. It would be odd, a dragon and a human, yes?"

The look he gave her made her feel like he knew a secret and did nor want to tell her it. He recovered well enough, however, to slip back into his cocky demeanor, once again wrapping himself around her so that they were intertwined.

" Our forms are _much_ more compatible than you think."

The Heylin warrior said it with such confidence and slickness, she felt herself cave and move close, in hopes of beginning the ritual he so wonderfully described before.

Unfortunately, a large crashing noise and a loud voice calling for Chase interrupted them.

The larger dragon looked up in anger.

In a few swift moves, he was back to his human form and moving out of the hot spring, drying himself and dressing before Lan-Ying could register the voice.

She stared at his departing form, in hopes of some instruction of what to do.

A faint " Stay here" was all she heard clearly, with a few mumblings of " moronic Spicer" and " eat his own skin" before he was gone from the room.

Sinking into the water in hopes of calming down, she lingered for a few moments, replaying the events in her head.

Had she agreed to mate with Chase just for the pleasure of it?

That did not seem like her, even if she didn't quite know who she was.

What did seem like something she would do, however, was ignored Chase and climb down to see what newcomer had breached the palace security and dared call out directly and informally to the emperor.

Yes. Defiantly something she would do, even if it wasn't something she **_should_** do.

Meanwhile, in the ordinate throne room of the palace, one painted, evil teenager was making noise and fighting off huge cats in the hopes of seeing his idol.

Ever since a couple of weeks ago, Chase had secluded himself from the world, no explanation given.

Jack had been a good enough friend to go and see if he needed anything, evil minions built or plans made, but had been rewarded with claw and teeth marks all over his body, and a door clammed in his face, causing a broken nose.

When the boy genius had asked Wuya her opinion on what was wrong with Chase, she had purred in a weird and slightly gross kind of way and mentioned something about his body needing relief.

After a new Shen Gong Wu was revealed and he showed up to find three tired and upset monks who did not really seem to care about the Wu, although he ended up challenging them anyway.

A shift in the air announced the Heylin Dragon's arrival, and Jack saw his moment to shine and gave it his everything to win the Wu and possible an approving look from his idol.

Instead, all he got was a Wu that made hair grow longer and the disappointment of watching that stupid Raimundo collect his team while mentioning that Chase ran off without even glancing at Jack's victory.

Figuring that Chase Young, master of all things evil, was planning something big, Jack gave him some time to develop his strategy and before visiting him and asking to participate it whatever it was.

But as the days turned into weeks, with no word, Spicer became impatient and decided that he needed to see for himself what was going on.

And so, here he was, securely latched on to the chandelier in Chase's throne room while he fended off the attacks of the various jungle cats.

At the sound of the large doors that lead to the inner rooms of the palace slamming open, Jack let out a sigh of relief.

A low whistle alerted the cats to their master's desire to have them abandon their prey. With one last glare and hiss, the cats stalked away and out of the room, the doors closing behind them.

All was quiet in the room as Jack leaped down from chandelier.

" Chase! What's up man? Where have you been? Doing something evil, I bet?" Jack asked, his eyebrows quirking. Moving to attempt to place his arm around the emperor's shoulders, he let out an embarrassingly feminine shriek and his arm was grabbed and twisted while his whole body was throw to the ground, pinned by armor-clade knees.

" Spicer. You were not invited here and are interrupting my personal time. What reason could you possibly have for coming here?" Chase growled out, placing more pressure on the arm in his grasp in hopes that the pain would motivate him to speak quickly.

" Wuya mentioned that you caught yourself a little dragon and I thought maybe you had food poisoning - ow ow OW okay I apologize for inviting myself in. But seriously-Ah!- Just making sure that you haven't been trapped by some crazy Xiaolin magic "

Chase slammed the boy onto the floor before allowing himself to stand over him. His golden eyes watched carefully as the face-painted teen rotated his arm to relieve the discomfort.

" Whatever your reasons, I have told you time and time again to not enter my domain unless requested so. Leave now, before I get angry."

Jack watched the man turn his back, seemingly in a hurry to go back the way he came. It was, as far as Jack was concerned, a rather normal encounter with the Heylin warrior.

It became strange, however, once he saw the form of the man freeze, looking at something.

Jack heard an murmur of something in what sounded like Mandarin and, as his curiosity got the better of him, he leaned over to look around the form, spotting what was causing Chase's distress.

A blue dragon, the coloring more appealing than he had pictured in his mind when Wuya described the Heylin warrior's latest meal ticket as a dying, pitiful creature, was standing in the doorway. He wasn't an expert in animal behavior, but the creature looked upset and to be on the defense. Jack couldn't see Chase's face, but his tense posture spoke volumes about what he was feeling.

Unsure of how to break the ice, Jack did what he knew best.

Awkward, mindless chatter.

" Hey little fella! Want to be my sidekick and I can train you to be like Dojo, but way cooler? You know Dojo right? Little green dragon, friends with the Xiaolins? I have been saying that the Heylins need a dragon mascot forever, not like Chase dragon, like you dragon. Can you fly? Or are you a fire-breathing dragon? Or maybe a water dragon, cause you're blue and"

He was silence with a fireball too close his face for comfort, not quite sure who had done it.

"Right. Shutting up."


	6. Coming to a Head

The tension in the air was palatable.

Jack was smart enough to keep as silent and still as possible as the two creatures stared each other down.

Lan-Ying gazed at Chase, unsure of what to say. The odd human behind him just looked at her with wide eyes.

She was so very confused at the situation. The other humans she had encountered had just made vague garbled noise, but she could understand every word from that boy's mouth.

Even the part about Chase planning on eating her.

Is it possible that he was lying to her this whole time, and was just making sure she was healthily enough to eat? Luring her into a false sense of security and trust so that she would do whatever he asked?

" Chase." she hissed out, finally breaking the tension.

The man her anger was directed at showed no signs of responding to her, instead choosing to return his attentions to the human behind him.

" Spicer. Why are you still here? Leave now."

The anger in his voice was so clear, that it made her spine tingle and the boy jump up in his effort to vacate the room as quickly as possible.

Her anger was greater, though, as she demanded answers, and the boy named Spicer had to stay if she was to get them.

"No. Stay, if you value your life," she said quickly. She had no real intention of harming him, unlike Chase, but she hoped she sounded as threatening. Apparently it made an effect, because the human stilled his movements and turned back around, looking awkward and scared.

Walking right past Chase, snapping her tail against his leg as she passed, she focuses her attention upon the boy.

As she approached the red-haired male, she lifted herself on to her feet, so that they were of equal height.

Once she was close enough to him, she leaned in, sniffing the boy in curiosity.

He smelled . . .odd. Like chemicals and smoke. There was also a smell that she associated with Chase, whenever he used magic. Her own body smelled vaguely like that as well.

" You can understand me?" she questioned him.

The boy was nervous and shaking, but answered her never the less.

" Yeah. Is that bad?"

Landing back onto her four paws, she slithered around him, wrapping around his legs in case he caught an idea to run.

" It is odd, considering I am not speaking a human language and you are. Why is that?"

The answer came not from the freighted human, but from the angry man who pried her off his legs.

" Mr. Spicer here has had long-term exposure to a certain artifact that frequently changed his form from human to primate. Because of it, he has adapted to speak the tongue of the beasts."

Chase moved her so that she was thrown over his shoulders, which further infuriated her. She slithered down his back, wrapping her body around his torso instead, a slightly less humiliating position.

Their bodies reacted in the usual heated fashion, her lower portion still aching from their encounter in the hot spring.

She pushed her desired down in favor of irritation, however.

" And who exactly is Spicer and why does he believe you had eaten me?"

Chase glared at the boy, apparently blaming him for the predicament they were in.

Jack chose to speak up.

" I'm a Heylin friend of Chase."

" Chase has no friends. He doesn't really like anyone but his cats" Lan-Ying replied, smiling slightly when the man underneath her tensed.

" Well, that is true, but we are on the same side. And I thought he was going to eat you because that is what he does. Eat dragons."

Chases, who had been oddly silent during their small exchange, reacted to this bit of information coming out by actually picking up the human and throwing him out the door.

Lan-Ying unraveled herself from his body, shocked by this open act of aggression, and glared.

" I was not done talking to him. And as of right now, I think it unwise for you to be irritating me further."

Her so-called master just sneered at her.

"Odd talk for a creature who, only minutes ago, was eager for my embrace."

If dragons could blush, Lan-Ying would have been covered from head to toe.

Instead, she chose to reach up, close to Chases' ear, hissing.

" Are you going to eat me, Chase?"

Instead of his usual lightening-fast movements, Chase took his time to pick her up gently, cradling her head in his palms. Some would mistake it for affection, but Lan-Ying knew that his anger was boiling over and he was under pressure to keep in inside.

" Oh, yes. I have every intention of devouring you whole."

It occurred then that he was talking about something completely different.

The blue dragon was still very angry, but her suppressed desired reared forward and the combined feelings resulted in her biting down on the hand closest to her mouth.

Far from any kind of pain cry, a low moan was the male's response, before he once again shape shifted, bursting from his armor and digging his teeth into her neck. They both collapsed to the ground, Lan-Ying pinned underneath the stronger male.

Once both parties pulled back, each other blood dripping from their fangs, there was no turning back. Golden, silted eyes glowed in impatience upon meeting the deadly blue of the female beneath him.

Their first mating was done in a flurry of passion and anger, all teeth and claws, growls and moans.

It could not have been more satisfying.

* * *

A shifting of the creature behind her is what eventually awoke Lan-Ying from her slumber.

Her body ached, both from lying on the cold, hard floor for hours, and also for the treatment it had received not to long ago at the claws of the male close to her.

Barely having the strength to raise herself up, she looked in distaste at the mess of scales and fluids that were beneath her. Some of it blood, from their rough treatment of each other, some of it the result of their release of tensions.

The movement that had woken her was brought to her attention again, as the large reptile slithered around her.

He too, was apparently still groggy and not in his right mind, for his next move was one of uncommon affection.

He nuzzled his large snout into her scaly neck, before licking at the wounds he had caused earlier.

When her gazed at all but burnt a hole through his head, he looked up, and upon seeing her observing him, realized his odd behavior.

Still, not one to show any form of embarrassment, he moved away from her, standing on two legs while looking down.

An awkward silence overtook them.

" Are you well?"

Lan-Ying nodded, gaining better footing before stretching her body out.

She stood on her hind legs so that she was able to look him in the eyes.

" I am still angry."

A snort from the creature in front her was his response.

" I want the truth. Why are you hiding me from other people? Are you playing games with me?"

The larger dragon turned his head, proud until the very end.

She did not back down though.

" Chase. Please. I deserve the truth, at least," she said in a softer tone.

The male sighed, before inclining his head in the direction of the private rooms.

"Fair enough. But first I must insist that we bath. It won't due to have use standing here, dripping and making a bigger mess of the floor."

She nodded in agreement, but as she took a step forward, her legs gave out, and Chase had to move quickly to catch her.

She smiled sheepishly at him, to which he rewarded her with a smirk.

" I guess that was a different kind of training" she joked.

As they moved toward the hot springs, she turned back to look at the so-called mess.

" What about the state of the room?" she asked, feeling odd about just leaving it looking like they had fought to the death.

"The servants will take care of it."

Lan-Ying felt awkward about that, but could think of no other solution, since she didn't think he was about to let her clean it herself.

* * *

Chase did not let her go, even as they dipped into the springs, letting the water sooth his muscles and mind.

Usually, he was one to leave once he was physically satisfied by whomever was convenient, but an unusual sense of possessiveness was overtaking him and he did not have it in himself to let the female go just yet.

He was tired in a way that he hand not felt for many years, and it gave him a satisfaction in not just himself, but in Lan-Ying as well. She was every bit as vicious and passionate as he had hoped, and could already feel his body heat up at the memory, hoping to repeat their actions very soon.

Unfortunately, that had to wait. Although her back was firmly pressed to his chest, he could feel her body tense against his hold. She was not going to back down. It was that fighting fire within her that he admired.

" I am not hiding you, despite what you think," he began. " It was only a few weeks ago that you were half dead on my doorstep. You grow stronger with each passing day, make no mistake, but there are far stronger people out there, who would like nothing more than your blood on their hands."

He pulled her closer, angry at the memory of Wuya's distain over seeing the wounded Lan-Ying when he first met her.

Jealous women were not to be trifled with, even if the cruel witch only wanted him for his power.

" I just wish to prepare you to the best of my abilities, as your master."

She loosened his grip on her, so that she could turn around and face him.

" Just as my master? There is no other motivation to protecting me?" she questioned.

Chase cursed mentally. Damn questions.

As Kimiko, Xiaolin monk, she was unsuitable to be considered a companion for him, let alone a lover. There were too many variables and obstacles in the way for his lust-fuelled fantasies to be realized.

As Lan-Ying, Heylin dragon, however, there were far fewer issues with having her around. Strong, passionate, and beautiful, even as a dragon, she could potential be the perfect mate.

There was the mater of her memory being erased by a Wu, and the potential of it coming back, but if he build a strong enough connection with her, could actual get her to _love_ him, she would be reluctant to leave.

That was not to say that he could love her. He wasn't sure if his ancient, dark heart was capable of caring about anything other than his power, but he did feel a strong sort of affection and protectiveness for her, and that could be enough.

Upon realizing that she had been staring at him, patiently waiting for an answer, he snapped back to attention.

" I also have personal reasons for caring for you, as well." he admitted.

Despite living for so long, he hand no idea how to go about wooing ( was that even the correct word for it?) the dragon.

Bowing closer, she looked almost hopeful.

" Personal reasons? Of the heart-felt nature?" she ventured.

Instead of saying anything, he chose to lick at her cheek to show his answer.

She looked vaguely content, nuzzling him in return, before returning to her interrogation.

" So, the eating dragon remark?"

Chase groaned into her neck, dreading this part of the conversation.

" I do eat dragons, it is what keeps me sane. And it had crossed my mind once or twice to eat you. But fret not; I have since reconsidered the idea.

Daring to look at her, he saw that her scales seemed to have lost a bit of color.

" S-so. You eat other dragons?" she stammered, seemingly uncomfortable.

" Yes. I need to," he assured her, grasping her so that she would look at him. " That is a story for another time, though. However, I would never harm you." he said firmly, hoping she would believe him.

His apprentice said nothing, only distanced herself from his body.

Diving into the water, she surfaced farther away from him, washing herself before crawling onto the ledge and exiting the spring.

Chase stood in the water.

" Lan-Ying . . . "

" No, it's fine. I just need some time to process everything. It has been a very event-filled day," she said in parting, before crawling out of the door, slamming it behind her.

Chase just lowered himself back into the water, wise enough to give her space.

At the feel of his tail swishing the water in annoyance, he realized that he was still in his dragon form.

This was the longest time he spent like that in a long while, usually preferring his human skin.

But Lan-Ying was a dragon, and it felt natural to be in whatever form she would take.

Reverting back into his normal appearance, he breathed slowly into the water until bubbles rose around him as the water boiled.

He let himself sink into a meditative state; contemplating what mating would be like if Lan-Ying was to retain her human form.

The Heylin drifted off, his mind was filled with visions of pale legs, high-pitched screams and ruby-red lips caressing his skin.

* * *

Meanwhile, the beauty of his dreams was in a confused state. She somehow had found her way into the dining room, where a strange noodle dish awaited her.

It finally occurred to her how hungry she was, and sitting down, she began to eat in a hurry, not even noticing when General Stein and Mao had entered in their human forms.

They watched in amusement as the little dragon had gobbled up two servings before taking their usual seats across from her.

It was then that she looked up in embarrassment.

" Sorry. I have not eaten in a while and today has been exhausting, to say the least."

Mao bowed respectfully, not one for ideal chatter, and began his meal.

Stein, on the other hand, gave her a large smile.

" I am sure. We heard that there was quite the fuss in the throne room earlier," he replied.

Lan-Ying, not catching his sly tone, nodded.

" Yes, an odd boy had broke in and caused some issues. Spicer something, I think?"

Mao spoke up then.

" Jack Spicer, Wuya's hench boy. Intolerable fool." he muttered.

Stein waved him off.

" Yes, yes, that too. However, the fuss I was referring to was more of the intimate nature." he said, the smile still plastered on his face.

Lan-Ying just stared at him, maintaining a poker face.

" Between you. And the master."

No response.

Mao coughed uncomfortably.

" That left of mess of what appeared to be the master's -"

" Okay, stop." She finally broke.

Stein tipped his chair back from the sheer force of the laugh.

" Finally! You know, I knew this was bound to happen. Here only a few weeks and I have never seen anyone effect the lord like that."

He slapped Mao's' back, which earned him a glare.

" Stein, desist. I am sure the young lady does not wish to discusses her private business." he scolded the viking, before giving a small smile to the dragon.

" Fine, fine. I am just showing my approval. 'Bout time we had a real lady around this place. Not like those pathetic harlots that come around."

Lan-Ying looked over to him at this.

" Harlots? Are there often other women around?" she asked.

Mao gave another glare as Stein looked away.

" No, madam. Every few decades, out lord is unable to control his body's natural response. He can usual treat himself with seclusion, but temptation by the desperate citizen of our territories is unavoidable. You do not have to worry, though. Once Lord Chase gives his loyalty, it is secured for life."

The female just looked down at her food in contemplation.

" What about the dragons?" she asked quietly. Their feline hearing is what allowed them to catch the question.

They did not bother to pretend to not know what she was talking about.

" Immortality comes with a price, little dragon. We all do what we must to survive. It is what makes us strong. Able to protect what we care about." Stein said, unusually serious.

" Master has sacrificed more than we could imagine. He takes no pleasure from his ritual. You do not have to accept it, but I believe that you will find, as time passes, that ignorance of the past is truly bliss." Mao finished, patting her paw in comfort.

Lan-Ying just pulled away from them, and stood.

" So that is the answer? Just ignore the problem and it will go away?" she challenged, her eyes blazing.

" That is not it. If you let what _has_ happened eat at you, you will never be able to live your life. Dwelling is not good for the soul." Mao replied, before standing. Stein followed suit.

They both bowed and bid her a good night.

Lan-Ying grabbed Stein's hand as he past her.

" Jor . . . "

Grabbing her paw, he planted a light kiss upon it.

" Little Dragon, you are looking the wrong direction for answers."

She watched as the general walked away, before deciding to retire for the night.

As she made toward her own room, a small ocelot blocked her path. Knowing the routine, she followed it without question.

It lead her to a room that she had never been in.

Opening the doors, she looked around to discover herself in a large bedroom chamber.

A grand bed stood in the far corner, covering in black and golden pillows and blankets. Various chairs were positioned in the room, along with a oriental desk carved with beautiful dragons and flowers.

The room had two, lit fireplaces, making it unusually warm, but not uncomfortable.

Especially compared to the large balcony that was open, exposing the room to the fresh air of the outdoors.

Making her way to the balcony, she looked out and was overwhelmed by the view. She knew Chase's palace laid on barren lands, but because of the height of the room, she could see out in the distance. Rolling green hills, glimmering rivers and a sky full of stars that shimmered all around her.

" I would take it that you like the view of your new room." A voice said behind her.

Her training had kept her from showing her surprise at Chase's appearance.

" I do, but I am not sure why I am being moved. I had finally gotten used to my old room." she stated, unsure of how to act or feel.

One hand, she was feeling excited by the prospect of becoming closer to the man that made her feel so wonderful. He was strong and tough on her, which made her feel like his equal instead of his underling.

On the other side, she was unsure how she felt about his habit of eating their own kind. She did trust that he would not do so unless it was necessary but it was still a hard truth to live with.

" Your old room was not acquitted for both of us to live in." he said causally, already beginning to disrobe for bed.

Lan-Ying gapped at him.

" Wow. We mate once and suddenly we share a room? Moving fast, aren't you?" she stated, using humor to lighten her uncomfortable mood.

" If you and I are going to be mating on a regular basest, and I do intend to, then it is logical to share a living space."

Right. No sense of humor, just logic.

Yet, she was too drained, both mentally and physically, from the events of the day, and opted to climb into the bed to drift off into sleep.

It was only right before she slipped away, that she felt warm arms surrounding her, cradling her off into sleep.


	7. Dinner from Hell

**_Welcome to a chapter I call " Screw off, Wuya."_ **

* * *

This was getting old.

Wuya had been waiting for weeks for Chase to come find her.

She had always flirted with the idea of an intimate relationship with the powerful dragon. After all, he was everything she looks for in a man: Powerful, ruthless and gorgeous.

But for a while, making subtle hints at deepening their partnership had been lower on her list of important things. After all, she was concentrating on collecting Shen Gong Wu, restoring her body and keeping that idiot Jack Spicer from dying.

Naturally, however, once her body was back in order, she saw opportunity and took it when she observed how Chase's body was changing and once had he lost a moment of control, it allowed her to notice that, despite what he said, he very much perceived that she was a woman.

From there, it was slight touches and temptations that comprised of her strategy to bring the man to his knees.

And just when she thought she was actually making some sort of progress, he adopts a scraggily mutt of a reptile off the street and instead of having the decency to eat it, he instead takes it in as his new apprentice!

Wuya used to come and go into his palace as she pleases, even linger for days on end in his elaborate and beautiful home. Now, she had been turned out multiple times, having to resort to sending Jack in just to irritate the man.

The act was getting out of hand. With all his attention either on non-Wu related world, dominating business (Wuya was never one for military enforcement) or training the stupid creature, Chase had seemed to forgotten that he was in heat, or that she could relieve him.

Well.

That was about to change.

She had gotten Chase to agree to a dinner tonight, to go over some Heylin issues, and she would use this opportunity to her advantage.

Wuya used a bit of her magic to change her appearance.

Lowering the neckline of her usual black dress, and shortening it enough that it was tempting for him, she decided that tonight was the night she would finally seduce Chase and claim the powerful Heylin emperor as her lover for. .

Well, for as long as it pleased her.

* * *

In the meantime, the same mutt of a reptile was slowly crawling along the hidden ledge of her current training room.

The room itself was pitch black. No light was permitted to enter.

The atmosphere of the room was thick. The air could be cut with a swish of a tail and Lan-Ying could feel the humidity settle in her lungs, making her feel like she was swimming rather than crawling.

Chase had mentioned something about training her to fight using her other senses, and she thought maybe he would make her wear a blindfold during their next session, but instead, she was quickly shown into this room early in the morning, and locked in.

The Heylin apprentice was not even aware of the other presences in the room until it was too late.

A kick had sent her flying into the wall, hard. After sliding down the wall, only to recieve another hit, she realized that she needed to get going and quickly.

In the back of her mind, she made a note to ask to see the room once the session was over, just to inspect if she had made a crater in the wall with her impact.

Over the course of the two hours since she had entered the room, she had been tossed around like a beanbag and shown no mercy.

Yet, since then she had been able to track his whereabouts better.

The subtle click of his feet against the floors, the sharp intake of breath before he would strike. Currently, she was crawling through the ledges, trying to get the jump on him. He was somewhere below her current position and she braced herself for her retaliation.

Chase Young had truly kept his word that their professional lives would be treated the same, despite the fact that afterwards, they would spend their free time doing more pleasurable activities.

Actually, she would argue that he had been a little harsher on her since their first mating. Although part of her thought that maybe he was trying to act as normal as possible during training and overdoing it as result, the more affectionate part of her thought it was because he wanted to be able to make sure she could take care of herself.

Such romantic thoughts fled out of her head as a chuckle echoed throughout the room.

" Hiding is the coward's way to fight, Lan-Ying"

She snarled at his tone, her response being to jump down and begin her final attack.

He must have heard her decent downwards, because she heard a movement that signaled a sharp turn.

However, he made the mistake she was counting on.

He braced himself for a frontal counterstrike, thinking she would drop down and land a hit directly.

Instead, while he protected his top, she landed quickly behind him and charged at his legs, knocking him off balance.

She only had a split second before he recovered, and chose to strike at that time. Lurching forward, she wound her body around him to constrict his arm movements.

He realized her plans, and tried to break free, but was stopped by a sharp pressure on his neck. Specifically, next to his jugular.

Without words, he understood her plan and relaxed his body in defeat.

It wasn't until the doors opened and the room flooded with light from the outside that she finally let go.

Looking at the figure in the door, she saw a large jaguar looking down at their in curiosity. Lan-Ying watched him bowed to her in greeting, before Mao turned his attention to Chase.

A form of communication connected them and Chase wordlessly dismissed Mao before turning to his apprentice.

Her first victory was rewarded with a small smile and she could not have been more elated if he had crowned her queen of the world.

" Well done, Lan-Ying. You are dismissed for the day," he said, moving to exit the room.

She nodded, before making her way to the hole she made in the side of the wall. She inspected it carefully, noticing some spots of blood and scale imbedded into the cracks

She was vaguely aware of a pain and wondered if she should let Mao know that she was injured, _somewhere_ , but her pondering was interrupted by her master's reentrance.

" I am having a guest over for dinner. Your attendance is not mandatory, but it would be . . . appreciated."

He truly was taking her complaints to heart and including her in many of his meetings, whether it was dinner with all of his generals or small audiences with citizens of his territories. True, she was often mistaken as a pet, especially with his habit of stroking her head when she happened to be resting on the arms of his chair (in her defense she did not have a chair of her own in the throne room).

" I would be happy to join you, Master" she replied with a graceful inclination of her head.

Chase looked behind him, glancing at Mao, who had followed him back into the room, dismissing his presence.

Once the feline was gone and they were assured of their privacy, Chase leaned his head down, touching their foreheads and closing his eyes.

It was a restrained show of their connection, but one that surprised her.

" Chase?"

The moment was over as quickly as it had started and Chase had straightened himself, back to his regal looking self.

" The guest is a . . . . woman named Wuya. A Heylin ally. She is a handful to deal with and I cannot promise that this night will be pleasant. I ask that you take nothing she says to heart and ignore most of the conversation. Her advanced age has effect her brain, I believe."

Lan-Ying snorted, following him out into the hall.

" How old are you again, Chase?"

A smirk was his only response.

* * *

In their quarters, Lan-Ying was left to refresh herself while Chase oversaw the preparations.

While he walked her to the room, he noticed the injured part of her body, a large gash alone her spine.

He called for Mao to assist her before bidding her goodbye.

Alone in the room, she arranged herself in the bed, drifting off slightly as she waited for assistance with her wound.

Beneath her, the sheets still smelled of her and Chase, from their activities in the morning.

She had discovered that, in the early hours of the day, when no other creature was awake, Chase was alert and very eager for her attentions.

Basking in the memories, she did not hear the arrival of General Mao into the room.

She only noticed him when he had touched her shoulder gently, startling her from her reverie.

" Apologizes, my lady. I've only come to take care of your injury," he explained.

Lan-Ying rose and stretched, wincing at the feeling of the tight skin pulling.

" Of course. Please" she said, turning so he could have excess to her back.

She breathed in sharply at the feel of his hands roaming the gash, and then sighed at the cooling sensation of the salve.

The smell reminded her of green hills and peaceful afternoons, visions of someplace strange and familiar dancing in her head.

Mao often treated her wounds after training and used the same cream every time. Once, when she asked what it was, he only gave a smile and said it was an old Chinese recipe, used primarily by Buddhist monks for generations.

She hand no idea why, but the smell was a great comfort to her.

Once Mao had finished, he made sure she was comfortable in the bed.

" Lay down until dinner. The injury should be healed by then."

As he moved towards the door, Lan-Ying spoke up.

" General Mao?"

Noticing she had his attention, she continued.

" I was hoping you could tell me more about the guess tonight?"

Mao grimaced, highly unusual for the straight-faced man.

" Wuya is an ancient Heylin witch, very powerful and ill-tempered. She is a occasional nuisance that the lord puts up with."

Lowering his voice, he continued.

" It is best to just bared down and tolerate her, as we all do"

The blue-eyed dragon just smiled and watched as the man closed the door behind him, listening as footfalls turned into claws clicking against the floor.

The female vaguely wondered if she should be worried about dinner if every person, including Chase, was telling her to just stomach their guest and then forget about her.

Still, Mao had recommended she rest before tonight, so she curled into the soft cushions and drifted into a dreamless slumber.

* * *

Wuya reached the palace in record time, having using her magic to fly there quickly.

Smoothing down her dress, she made sure that, if and when she had the opportunity to bend over, her outfit would accentuate her curves while still leaving little to the imagination.

After all, the subtle approach went out the window during the Heylin warrior's seclusion.

Striding forward, she smirked as the doors parted ways for her and was met by two large cats.

" Ahh, Stein. Mao. How pretty your coats are" she cooed at them, as if they were docile house cats instead of large animals ready to attack if need be.

Neither creature said anything, only escorted her into the throne room as instructed.

Upon their entrance, they guided her in front of Chase's throne, where he sat, in all his finery, ready to receive her.

Chase raised his hand to dismiss the cats, standing and making his way to the Heylin witch.

" Wuya." he said in greeting.

The red-haired woman smiled, walking around him, half enjoying his form, half letting him enjoy hers.

" Chase Young. You look so well. I cannot put my finger on it, but something about you has changed," she said, circling his arm in hers, " you look different. Stronger." she purred, into his ears.

She completely missed the sneer he made at her and mistook his shiver of disgust for one of pleasure.

Smiling, she allowed herself to be lead into the formal dining room, ready for an intimate dinner . . .

. . . only to be disappointed to find a multitude of Chase's generals in their human form, as well as the annoying snake of a pet that had been absorbing most of the man's time.

The general all stood and waited calmly as the two powerful Heylins walked to their seats, the small dragon only standing once she realized everyone else was.

Wuya was satisfied to see the dragon look down in embarrassment.

The dinner passed by far to quickly for Wuya's likely. Chase ignored her comments of his body or her dress, moved away when she tried to touch him, and even refused to reply to any of her invited of moving to a more private location.

He even had the nerve to invite the nuisance of an apprentice into the conversation whenever possible.

When Chase pardoned himself to discuss matters with his generals and asked for the two females to wait for him in the throne room, she saw her opportunity to chase the little twit away for the night. They sat on the cushions that were located near the edge of the room.

" So. Lan-Ying was it?" she asked with a snake-like smile.

The blue dragon stared at her with an unwavering gaze.

With no reply, she continued.

" How is your training going, dearest?"

Lan-Ying looked uncomfortable to be left alone, but did not back down.

" Well, thank you."

The Heylin witch was displeased with her lack of response, and just watched her carefully.

The dragon kept looking towards the door, eager for her master's return.

It was then that Wuya had a sneaking suspicion why Chase was no longer in a desperate state of heat, and was calmer and colder than ever.

In any case, Lan-Ying was still a female, and Chase had more than one form.

Scooting her seat closer, she leaned in.

" Just between us girls, your master, Chase Young, is quite the specimen of a male. "

Lan-Ying snapped her head towards the women in surprise at the sudden change in topic.

"I . . . suppose so."

Wuya noticed the subtle changes in her demeanor. Stiffer back, increased heart rate, tail twitching.

The dragon was hiding something.

" And of course, he has had his fair share of beautiful conquests." Wuya continued.

" Trust me dear, I have been around for a long while. I have seen them come and go, all manner of women and creatures . . . "

That was a lie, of course. Chase kept his private life a fiercely protected secret and anyone who tried to pry was thoroughly punished.

" None last long, I am afraid. You see, with a man like that," she gestured to the doorway, where hushed whispers could be heard, " No one creature could satisfy him. Men like Chase have temporary flings, then get bored and abandon their passing fancy."

She could see that her words were affecting the dragon, as she began to slouch in her seat.

The damage was done, now all that was left to do was land the blow that would shatter her precious world.

Leaning back into her chair as if she did not have a care in the world, Wuya finished her attack.

" Of course, I know you don't need to be told this, dear. I am sure you have seen it for yourself, or at least will soon. After all, you are smarter than those kinds of females, and know that your place is as his apprentice. A creature like you could only ever appeal to one part of his self. His other parts," Wuya ran a hand down her waist, to her legs for emphasis, " can only be handled by a true woman."

Wuya could almost hear the glass break and chuckled in satisfaction.

Chase chose that moment to arrive.

" I apologize, I had an issue to resolve," he explained, signaling for them to rise out of their seats.

Lan-Ying could not move quickly enough, bowing to both before asking to be dismissed.

Chase allowed it, but his eyes followed her until she was out of the room.

Eager to bring his attention back to her, she moved close, pressing her breasts against him.

" Chase, the night is still young. Should we retire to your rooms for more private affairs?" she tempted with a sharp smile.

The man glanced down at her, and the air suddenly became thick with tension.

" No, we are done for the night. Besides, if we went there, we would disturb Lan-Ying if she were sleeping in the bed. The cats will escort you out."

Wuya could not believe he had dismissed her so quickly.

His remark about Lan-Ying being inside his bed did not hit her brain until she was back into her own lair.

Her shrieks could be heard miles away.

* * *

Dinner had gone about how he had expected.

Wuya was her usual mixture of inappropriate and rude, but for the sake of harmony among the members of the Heylin circle, he kept up appearances and allowed what he could.

Throughout the dinner, he noticed that, as much as Wuya angered him, Lan-Ying calmed him just as much.

Small glances in her direction to see her reactions to some of Wuya's more obvious implications, or hiding smirks as he felt her tail brush the side of his leg, all of it made the dinner with the witch that much more bearable. He planned on thoroughly enjoying her attentions that much more once he got rid of the unwanted company.

When he needed to discuss some important manners with his generals, he felt a mixed of relief, and weariness.

Gazing at his apprentice, he watched her awkwardly take a seat as far from Wuya as was possible without being rude, and gave her a look that promised he would be as quick as possible.

Looking back, it might have been a poor idea.

When he arrived back to the room, he took in the scene.

Wuya looked as poise and cocky as ever, sitting in her seat with her legs crossed.

Lan-Ying looked uncomfortable and tight. Like at any moment, she was ready to spring from her chair.

In fact, it must have taken great restraint for her to ask to be dismissed and say a farewell to Wuya before making her way back into their private quarters.

After his quick removal of the red-haired wench, he followed her path, stopping in his meeting room to grab a few scrolls to go over.

Opening the door slowly, he entered as quietly as possible, as to not startle the female if she was sleeping.

Instead of the bed, however, he found her in front of the large mirror placed in the corner of the room.

She stared at her reflection, analyzing her form. Turning this way and that, he watched as she frowned, standing on her legs and running her paws down her mid-section.

She looked thoroughly displeased, and he sought to rectify her issues.

Stepping behind her, he smoothed his hands along her arms, before grazing her stomach in gentle strokes.

" I was glad for your presences at dinner. However," he turned her to face him, " I would be much more happy to have your presences in bed."

She allowed herself to be dragged onto the bed, but when he went down in his usual starting move, biting down on her neck, he was surprised to have her roll away from him.

Raising an eyebrow in question, she shook her head at him.

"I am sorry. I am sore from training and my wound still hurts."

" You seemed fine at dinner. What could be bothering you?" he replied, sitting up right.

She gave a quick smile.

" Just suffering from some harsh training. Nothing I cannot handle."

For everything she was, she wasn't a good liar. Still, it was not in his nature to dig for answers. If it wasn't bothering her enough to tell him about it, then he wouldn't pry.

Reaching for his scrolls, he began returning correspondence to his officers away on missions.

He didn't miss, however, the way she made sure to fall asleep farther away than usual.

He pretended it didn't bother him.


	8. Not Enough

Over the course of the next few days, Chase noticed a change in his apprentice.

During their training, she had a viciousness and furiousness to her that he had never expected of the once-Xiaolin dragon.

She was quicker than before and when she would go down, exhausted from the day and he would ask if she was ready to quit, she would not reply, only growl and lift herself back up and regain her fighting stance.

After she truly could not fight anymore, she would dismiss herself, inquire to Mao's whereabouts for her wounds and then eat and go to bed.

While he could not be more thrilled at the advancement she showed to him, he was feeling . . . . something every time she shied away from him.

They were still mating, but instead of the passion and vigor at their beginning, she seemed eager to get away from his body once they were finished.

He was almost offended.

After all, he had centuries to perfect his technique. Women across the world had praised his skills. Lan-Ying herself passed out after their first session, and often went bone-less during the ones after.

Part of the reason he was so fond of the young dragon was the passion she exhibited, matching him in both fighting and in mating.

When she was acting so aloof and odd, it made him question what had happened to his fiery dragon.

Brooding on his throne, he listened vaguely to the village elder that had travelled to his palace to plead for help in protecting his lands from feral wolves that had been slaughtering his people.

Chase had already decided to send some of his felines to kill the creatures in exchange for some of the village's more abled bodied men for his armies, so he allowed himself to instead ponder how to fix his current situation.

A couple of months ago, he would not give a second thought about anyone's problems or concerns.

He would go about advancing his own needs and desires, letting the problems of others solve themselves.

But for the first time since he had drank the Lao Mang Lone, he found himself genuinely concerned for another being.

He could try to justify it by saying that her issues were interfering in his life and he needed to fix it to regain his sense of peace, but deep down he knew.

He knew that having Lan-Ying around was changing him. He now made plans for the future involving her. When he landed a hit harder than he thought, he felt anxious when she did not get up immediately. The idea of spending all day with her, training and bathing and mating in their bed did not seem like a waste of his valuable time, but instead a break from life that he needed.

Chase Young could feel his ancient, cold heart thaw a bit with every passing day.

There was even a shadow of apprehension of what would happen if she regained her memories and wanted to be Kimiko once more.

And so, to calm his chaotic mind, he decided that actions need to be taken.

He dismissed the elder after his request was fulfilled, and set out to discover what exactly Wuya had said to cause a change in Lan-Ying, for it could only be that damned witch who could upset the balance he had created in his home.

* * *

Lan-Ying, in the meantime, had been busy watching General Stein train with one of the younger cats.

He always intimated her in his human form, looking like something straight out of Norse mythology. He made no effort to flip the large jungle cat who charged at him, even laughing when the feline squawked like a kitten when the general grabbed him by the gruff of his neck.

The female had been spending a lot of her free time lately watching the generals fight and train.

It wasn't so much that she was fascinated with their fighting, for she had learned long ago that she needed to develop her own style of fighting, for she was neither strong like Stein, nor swift like Mao.

No, it was how they so effortlessly shifted forms, from human to beast.

To them, it was as natural as taking a breath, as they did not even stop their stride when they changed.

She had asked Stein once how he came to be fully clothed when he changed, while Chase was often nude after his shift.

Stein, after getting over the loud cough he made after hearing the details about their intimate life, mentioned that each feline had an enchanted collar that aided their changing state so they were never without clothing.

After that conversation, she had stopped questioning things, thinking that magic was the untold reason for most things in the palace.

Still, she watched as all the inhabitants of their home could switch to which ever form suited their needs.

Must be nice.

Making her way to the empty library, she noticed that the fireplace was lit and curled in front. She watched the fire flicker against her scales, the way her tail flicked unconsciously, her claws scratching the floors as she flexed them.

Although she loved her body, had become more comfortable in it since her awakening (as she had taken to calling the first incident of her memory), the cruel witch's word echoed to her very bones.

She liked Chase. Admired him, respected him and yearned for him. He was a good master, a generous mate and fair, yet tough, ruler. She wanted more, sometimes, though.

In her current state, she was levels below him. She wanted to be his counterpart, to stand beside him as an equal instead of a pet.

She couldn't do that when she was stuck padding around on all fours, or slithering like a snake around his throne.

Sometimes, she dreamed of what she would look like if she were human.

In those dark fantasies, she had dark hair, like Chase's, but sleeker, and so long she could wrap it around herself.

She could be small and thin, just like her current body since she knew how to fight when everyone thought she was to tiny to make a difference.

Pale and so beautiful, that's what she wanted. Wanted to be able to stand besides her teacher and be noticed.

Her eyes, however, would be the same. The Heylin warrior once commented that he admired the way her eyes reflected the fire within her soul.

 _" Hot and burning or calm and dangerous, both so beautiful"_ were his words as she lay beneath him one early morning.

Lan-Ying let out a sigh, closing her eyes and escaping into her human-formed fantasy.

She slept so deeply, she did not hear a certain golden-eyed man enter the room and stand over her.

It wasn't until he ran his finger lightly down her spine that she finally awoke.

Locking gazes, she turned her body and adjusted her position so she could look at him.

When he sat across from her and held his hand out, she knew it meant to curl her body around him, a comfortable position they both enjoyed. However, lately whenever she did that, it just reminded her of how different their bodies could be.

She chose instead to sit up and look at him.

She swore that he twitch at her rejection.

" I am tired of your constant distance." he began, crossing his arms in irritation.

Silence was his answer.

" Whatever it is that Wuya said, I warned you not to take it to heart. Instead, you have let her worm her sick little way into your head and are now suffering as hundreds before you. I must say, I am disappointed."

Lan-Ying shifted uncomfortably, looking down.

After still no reply, he stood and started down at her.

" Whatever your reasons, I expect you to get over them and soon."

When he turned his back to leave, he was instead faced with a very angry dragon.

She moved so quickly that he had heard nothing.

Hissing, she finally spoke up.

" You think it is that easy? That I can just get over it? I tried to not let her in my head" she approached him, and for the first time in a very long time, he felt a jolt of something akin to alarm.

" I ignored her barbs about my intelligence and her blatant invitations to her bed. I even let her comments about me being a free loading mutt slip by. But she found a way in."

Narrowing her eyes, she turned to look over his shoulder, losing her confidence.

"It's like she _knew._ She identified what had been worrying me. Like she made a scratch that she knew I would pick at until it made me bleed."

The blue dragon flinched when a gloved hand reached out to stroke her cheek.

" Tell me" was his gentle command.

Lan-Ying did not know dragons could cry. But had discovered the possibility, as she let the hot tear race down her scaled face.

" I am not enough," she said quietly.

Chase said nothing as what she admitted sunk in.

Words failed her as he leaned in and caressed her lips with his own.

He had never kissed her while he was human; she had always thought it made him uncomfortable. Apparently, she was wrong.

She began to kiss him back, but he pulled away.

" Wuya is a manipulating bitch. She wants what others have and will do or say whatever she can to get it." he said in a soft tone that she did not recognize.

Lan-Ying smiled at him slightly.

" Does that mean I have you?" she asked.

Shifting his form, Chase loomed over her with a fiery gaze.

Leaning down to touch their foreheads together, he gave her a look that lite her insides aflame.

" For longer than you could ever realize."

Moving together, they reclaimed all of the passion and lust that had been lost before.

* * *

Later, in front of the fire, Chase watched Lan-Ying doze on his chest.

He had shifted back into his human form, but kept the young dragon on top of his chest for comfort.

After their talk and subsequent make up, he had much to consider.

Lan-Ying was easily a female he could envision by his side.

She already attended many of his war meetings and audiences with his people.

With her instincts from her Xiaolin training still ingrained in her, his training was to fine-tune her ferociousness and skills. She was already better than most of his army, and could hold her own against him as well.

Looked down at her peaceful form, he considered his options.

He could keep things as they were now, but deep down part of him realized this problem wasn't over. She would always feel like she was missing something because she _was_.

However, if he helped her regain her true form, with a little Heylin help, and become the woman and dragon she was always meant to be, than he would not just have an apprentice and lover.

He would have a mate. Someone at his side for all time.

Thinking of a delicate throne next to his in his grand room, he pondered how his position had been missing an Empress for fifteen hundred years.

Thinking of the perfect opportunity to debut Lan-Ying to the Heylin side, he gently shook her until she peaked open an eye at him.

" Hmmm" she murmured sleepily, shutting her eyes once more.

" The winter solstice approaches. Traditionally, the Heylin alliance throws a sort of . . . party, if you will.

" Mmmhmmm" she replies, still hazy.

" This year, it will be held here, in the ballroom" he carried on.

" We have a ballroom?" she asked, eyes reopening to peak at him.

Smirking, he continued.

" Indeed. I believe it will be the perfect time to formally introduce you to the other Heylins"

That got her attention. Looking up at him slowly, she appeared skeptical.

"Oh? That's good, right?"

Chase gave a firm nod in confirmation.

" Okay. How many people are we talking?"

Chase pondered for a minute, trying to recall the all of the members. Obviously not everyone claiming to be evil could come. Only a select few active and prominent people.

" No more than fifteen or twenty."

The dragon nodded, looking neither happy nor upset at the news.

" There, I hope to introduce you not only as my apprentice, but as my mate" he said offhandedly.

She bolted up. Lan-Ying knew that Chase was not one to joke ( _ever_ ) but almost felt as if he was kidding.

" Truly? Is . . . that what we are?"

Chase took a deep breath.

" I believe so. Don't you?"

Lan-Ying showed her agreement by restarting their previous activities with vigor.


	9. Changes

The days following Chase's declaration of hosting the Winter Solstice were filled with scampering felines and servants hurrying to get the palace pristine and the food prepared.

Even Lan-Ying was caught up in the rush and excitement.

Chase, however, had little to do with the actual planning, caring little for any sort of social gathering despite his status as the host. Therefore, it fell to her to guide the servants and address any issues. It gave her a taste of the responsibilities that would be expected of her as the mate of the master.

After their vigorous mating and reassurances that Wuya is the most terrible of wenches, Chase explained what exactly would change with her newfound title.

" As before, your training will not be any easier. However, you have grown strong enough to lessen your training with me and begin to train with others, or even by yourself if you so desire." He said, stroking her spine.

Lan-Ying almost felt herself purr in pleasure.

" You will also take responsibilities within the palace. Act as an authority figure when I am away."

The blue dragon raised an eyebrow.

" And when will you start bringing me along on these excursions of yours?" she pondered.

Chase rose, lifting his mate with him.

" Soon, little dragon." was all he promised.

Afterwards, they left to their separate locations to begin the preparations.

Since then, Chase had been busy organizing his affairs so that he would have the whole night free, while Lan-Ying oversaw everything else.

The only responsibility that Chase had was to invite the guests, seeing as Lan-Ying did not know any except Jack and Wuya.

While she did not object to seeing the funny human boy again, since his whole body screamed, " not threatening", the blue dragon had no intention of spending any more time with the heinous witch than absolutely necessary.

* * *

The night before the solstice ball, Lan-Ying had been training by herself in one of the smaller, bare rooms. She had hoped to gain a serious level of control over her fire capabilities, but every time she tried, she lacked something, leading the flames to either snuff out or spin out of control and engulf everything around it.

More than once, she pondered that having the delicate control fingers allowed would be beneficial, but lingering on that would only lead her down the dark path she was on before.

And she was stronger than that.

Coiling into a relaxed posture, Lan-Ying breathed in deeply, letting the warm air of the room curl into her lungs and fill her mind with ease.

After feeling less pressure on herself, she wanted to give it one more attempt before retiring for the day. She was so anxious about tomorrow night that dinner held no appeal for her, so after a quick dip in the springs, she intended on heading into bed.

Her plans were interrupted by the pounding on the door to the room. The Heylin dragon rolled her eyes, knowing that only one creature in the palace knocked like that.

" Come in, Jor." she yelled out, lifting herself from the ground and moving to stand on her hind legs.

The Viking warrior strode into the room with almost a bounce in his step, his body humming in excitement.

" My little dragon! Or shall I start calling you ' my lady'?" the man said in his boisterous voice.

Lan-Ying smiled slightly, still embarrassed at the other occupants of the palace's reaction to her elevated status.

The newer felines were now skittish around her, like at any moment she would terrorize them. The older generals, sans Mao and Stein, treated her with aloof respect. She assumed that she had not yet earned their admiration, which was fine with her. She would rather not be treated with false kindness.

" Whatever you wish to call me would be fine, Jor. What is it?" she replied.

The man did not say anything to her question, just approached her quickly.

Lan-Ying braced herself, thinking this was a spur of the moment sparring session, but instead let out an embarrassing squeak as she was lifted high into the air and over the man's shoulders.

" Njord! What are you _doing?!"_ she yelled, her sharp teeth snapping in irritation.

" Taking you to a surprise!"

Seeing that it did nothing to calm her aggravation, he added,

" From the master."

Lan-Ying snapped her head to glare at the large warrior.

" And he said it was required to carry me through the hallways in such a humiliating manner?" she asked, tapping her claws on his back in impatience.

The man laughed in response.

" No, this was my pleasure."

The rest of the way was spent with Lan-Ying accepting her position and uncomfortably waving at the felines and servants they passed, and Stein humming happily as they made their way to her and Chase's private quarters.

Upon reaching their grand doors, the dragon was placed back onto her feet, where she attempted to go in. A pair of strong arms, however, stopped that.

" Close your eyes, little one." Stein said with a smile.

The female huffed but did as she was asked.

Being lead blindly into the room, Lan-Ying did not know what she was in for. ' Surprise' for Chase could mean anything from spontaneous training to a weird new dinner dish that she smiled and ate (no matter if it had eyes and was blinking at her).

After placing her in the center of the room, Stein moved away from her.

The sound of something tinkling like chimes came to her ears, and curiosity was burning at her.

" Okay. You may look now."

She slowly peeked open her eyes and took in what was in front of her.

The burly man in front of her held up what was possibly the most delicate and beautiful work of metal she had ever seen.

It was a mass of connecting golden chains, which twisted into circles and loops. The way the man held it seemed as if it was something to be revered.

Stein motioned her to come closer, and she approached him slowly, never taking her eyes from the glimmering chain.

Freezing in place, she did not even breathe as the large man proceeded to dress her with the cool metal.

Weaving her limbs through it, it felt like she had been made to wear it.

The general finished dressing her by placing the end upon her head like a crown, with a lone piece of jade hanging down between her eyes.

Stepping aside, he allowed her to approach the mirror and gaze at herself.

Saying nothing, she just turned and observed the way her scales and the gold shimmered in the dim light of the room.

It made her feel beautiful and rare.

Turning to Stein, she smiled with watery eyes.

" How do I look?"

The fearsome warrior puffed his chest in pride.

" Like an Empress."

* * *

Chase stood over the table in his war room, assessing the movement of his army in the east. With the recent acquiring of a strong navel fleet, he had to opportunity to expand his territories across the sea.

After giving instruction to some of his officers, he watched as they left him alone.

He began writing physical orders to the troops, as a knock interrupted his solitude.

The looming figure in the doorway signaled his general's presence.

The Heylin waved him in before finishing his writing.

The silence overtook the two until the pen was set down. Chase folded his hands in front of his face and stared down Stein.

" Njord. I am dispensing you to the east aboard the imperial vessels. I expect you know what to do from there, and will be delivering news of success within two weeks." he said.

The large man nodded, face serious. Bowing low, he waited to be dismissed so he could make arrangements.

When nothing happened, he rose slightly, peeking at the emperor.

" Sire?"

Chase stood up, moving around his general's large mass to close the door.

" How did your assignment go?" he asked, trying ( _and failing_ ) to not look interested.

If Stein were a less intelligent man, he would have let out a chuckle. Instead, he maintained his straight face.

" The lady was most moved by your gift. She relays that she is eager to show you tomorrow night."

Chase looked relieved.

" If I may sir, the lady is quite striking in it."

Chase felt his temper flare at the thought of another man seeing his mate as beautiful, but chose to ignore the feeling.

"Yet," the man continued," I do hold some concerns."

The emperor was wise enough to allow his solider to speak.

" The young dragon is smart and strong. In the privacy of your domain, you are a fierce couple. But I worry about the reaction of the Heylins. They are neither kind nor gentle. The slightest mistake could lead to her downfall, and I fear, yours."

The air grew thick with tension.

"General Stein. Have you ever known me to be unwise?" Chase responded.

The man shook his head in the negative.

" Then I trust you to follow my lead without question."

" Love, sire, leads us to make unwise decisions. Clouds our judgment. I do not wish to question you. Only to assure myself that you are confident, not for just your sake, but hers also." The man claimed.

This turned out to be ill advised, as the general found himself hanging in the air, clutched in his masters hands by his throat.

" Let this be a warning, then, to not question my rule. My decision stands, and I would ask that you not speak of love like it had enveloped my senses. Mating is not love." Chase then dropped the man to the floor.

The man slowly returned to his feet before bowing and exiting the room.

Chase caught the whispered muses of the Viking as he made his exit.

_" Yes, men often become jealous and drape gold over random creatures."_

* * *

Lan-Ying paced nervously in her room as she heard the sounds of guest arriving downstairs.

She had been mentally preparing all night for the event, but now here she was, wearing Chase's gift, looking every bit the beautiful Heylin dragon that she was about to be introduced as, and feeling as if the world would swallow her whole.

She was hoping to see Mao or Stein before the event, if only to calm her nerves, but Chase had mentioned that they were to be away on missions for a while, before instructing her to wait for him in their room.

The female did not know how to act. She was excited, nervous and almost drunk on the anticipation of the night.

Stopping her movements and taking a deep breath, she finally managed to calm herself when Chase walked in through the doors.

Lan-Ying took a moment to appreciate her new mate's appearance.

He had put his long mane into a slick braid down his back and chosen to wear a new armor face. It was a deep green with golden dragons etched into the breastplate. Wearing match silk pants and golden boots, he had elected to relinquish his usual armored gloves and instead wore long golden gloves that shimmered in the light.

The female dragon purred at him, then stretching in front for him to get his first look at her appearance.

His eyes roamed all over her body and it felt like flames licking at her skin.

" I am tempted to forgo the even and keep us locked in this room to prevent any other eyes from this sight." he complimented before holding out his arm for her to take.

Standing on two legs, she moved to stand next to him.

" I would agree to the terms if I hadn't overseen this event myself. Are you ready, my lord?" she replied in her most formal tone, which Mao had graciously taught her.

Chase smirked at her.

" Yes, my lady." he replied before leading her down into the grand ballroom.

Down below, the highest-ranking members of the Heylin alliance socialize.

Panda Bubba causally conversed with the mermaid Ashley, who had submersed herself in the large fountain Lan-Ying had place specifically for her.

Jack managed to annoy every guess within the first few minutes and was now in isolation in the corner by threat of Wuya (who was sulking and ignoring Hannibal Bean).

All had quieted down as a large cheetah entered through the grand staircase.

It shifted from the graceful savannah feline to a slender female in African warrior wear. With multiple piercings and tattoos, she was a fierce sight to behold.

" My respected gentlemen and ladies. It is my personal honor to announce His majesty Emperor Chase Young, and his mate, the elegantly ferocious Lan-Ying, Dragon of the Heylin."

The room grew so quiet that the only sound was the slight clicking of claws and boots against the floor as the guests of honor entered.

No one said anything until, to no one's surprise; the silence was broken by a loud whistling and clapping from the corner.

" Chase! My man! Congratulations" Jack said, running up and bowing quickly before grasping Lan-Ying's clawed hand and kissing it with a smile.

" Sorry about the last time we saw each other. I didn't know you were a girl or involved with Chase _like that."_ the human boy said with a sheepish grin that was so charming, Lan-Ying could not help but giggle.

Chase rolled his eyes before casting the boy aside and walking into the crowd, actions speaking louder than words as his hand wrapped around the blue dragon's waist.

As the attendees began to socialize with the couple, asking who she was and dug into her background with as much subtly as they could manage, Lan-Ying found herself genuinely enjoying herself.

* * *

The people at the event, though odd and obviously with a cruel streak were entertaining and interesting. They were the first characters she had met in a long while that were not cats, and she was eager to learn more about their world.

After a long while, the two were separated, and Lan-Ying found herself enjoying her time with the wicked mermaid, who warded off Wuya like a charm.

She found the aquatic based female to be funny and charming, full of mean little jokes and snips that clued the dragon in on other guests of the night.

" Tubbimara looks so innocent, but he actually has a thing for tiny girls with large butts." she whispered with a shark-like grin. Looking at the female dragon, she clicked her tongue.

" You are lucky to have a body like that, something that only appeals to one man." she said

Lan-Ying knew by now that it was an underhanded jab, but felt not anger, only mild amusement.

" Yes, Wuya already alerted me that my single-form limitation was going to cause Chase to lose interest quickly." she replied causal, earning a scoff from the mermaid.

" Please, that creature is more hot air than actual woman. Still, any man could get bored easily. I hope you are keeping things interesting." Ashley said, looking at said man across the room.

" Interesting how?" Lan-Ying questioned.

The girl flipped in the water to turn towards the Heylin dragon completely.

" You know, throw in a surprise. Keep him guessing."

The conversation drifted from there onto more mundane topics, but Lan-Ying pondered on the words.

How was it possible to surprise a man like Chase?

Before long, the female dragon found herself dismissing her presence from Panda Bubba to take in some fresh air on the patio.

Stepping out into the darkness, Lan-Ying took a lung full of the cold air and let herself lean against the outer wall for support.

The whole night, starting from the bedroom, her body had felt like it was bursting from the inside out. At first, she chalked it down to the usual reaction she had to Chase being near by and giving her that look that promised carnal pleasure later. However, as the night wore on, she began to feel more uncomfortable and queasy.

She had hoped that the cold air would help cool her down, but instead, it just made her dizzy.

Footsteps approached and Lan-Ying felt herself prepare to snare for them to leave.

" Hey Lan!" yelled out a voice.

The dragon relaxed, turning to look at the painted human.

" Jack." she managed to say, panting heavily.

The human boy responded by leaning over her, worry etched on his easy to read face.

" You alright? You are looking a little rough for wear. Should I get Chase?" he asked, preparing to back away. Her claws shot out to stop him.

" Please." she said, finally falling to the cold, stone ground, her eyes wide with panic.

" Don't leave me alone. I don't want to be alone.," she said quietly.

Jack did not hesitate. Sitting down crossed legged; he gently lifted her form onto his lap and stroked her hot scales in comfort.

Lan-Ying let out a breath that was supposed to be a chuckle.

" You are good at this." she wheezed.

Jack smiled at her.

" I have had sick cats before. Are you sure I shouldn't do something?" he asked.

A jolt of pain overtook her body and she tried to stretch, but the golden chains prevented it, causing her to strain against it, turning the jewelry into a cage.

" Get . . . this . . .. OFF" she screeched, struggling in his lap.

Jack, in a rushed panic, took out a small laser and tried to cut the thicker parts of the golden outfit, before accidently burning her, resulting in a groan from the sick dragon.

Eventually, he resorted into tearing at it, ripping apart the small chains until they were little more than a ruined pile on the ground.

Lan-Ying managed to roll away from the human and continued her struggle.

Jack watched in horror as her body began to twist and shape. Shorter paws stretched into graceful fingers, inky black hair began to sprout from her skull and glimmering blue scales melted together into pale skin, glowing in the light of the moon.

After the change seemed to be finished, Jack slowly approached the collapsed form.

Her hair covered a large portion of her body, hiding any movement and Jack had to be sure she was okay and alive, half in concern over her, half in concern over the fact the Chase would murder him slowly if his mate was dead and the human just watched.

Gently, he grasped the pale shoulder of the now-human girl. Her skin was burning to the touch, and he could still hear her labored breath.

Jack shifted her so she leaned against him and he tried his damn best not to loom over her nude body, even taking off his coat and wrapping it around her.

Finally, he brushed her long, thick hair away from her face, and almost dropped her to the ground in shock.

Staring at him was the face that haunted his puberty-induced wet dreams. It was the face that loomed over him multiple times in smug victory and mocking laughter when he tried to extort a date from her.

Jack wondered if what he had seen was some latent side effects of all the magic his body had endured over the years, and Lan-Ying was inside the ballroom while the Xiaolin dragon had somehow ended up naked on the balcony. After all, weirder things had happened before.

That theory was put to rest when the girl cracked open her eyes, revealing the same glowing turquoise eyes, with narrow silted pupils that graced the Heylin dragon, not the Xiaolin monk.

The face was Kimiko Tohomiko. The eyes were Lan-Ying.

Jack was completely confused.

And the situation became worse at the arrival of the Heylin warrior in the archway, scanning for his missing mate.

When his golden eyes landed on the pair, the world stood still.

Before Jack could even blink, they were some how whisked to Chases' private room, where the bare girl was placed delicately on to the bed.

Jack felt awkward watching as Chase stroked the girl's face gently, pushed her hair away and placing a kiss to the crown of her head.

The girl twitched, looking at the man with clouded eyes before collapsing into the darkness again.

Once Chase assured that the girl was sleeping peacefully, wrapped in the fine silk sheets of the bed, he turned his attention to the bewildered human, eyes flashing with hidden rage.

" Jack Spicer. Let's talk."


	10. Hot Winter Nights

When Chase had left Lan-Ying's side during the evening, he had faith she could handle herself just fine. He kept a firm eye on Wuya and Hannibal just in case, but when he saw that she kept company with the vain fish girl, he chose to absorb himself in the conversation with other Heylins.

It was not until the night had turned cold and the guest started to wane in their energy that Chase decided to find his mate and make good on his promise to wear her out until sunrise.

Upon discovering that she had left the ballroom a while ago, he began to wonder what she had gotten herself up to. He had a nagging fear that if he left her alone for too long, she would manage to cause herself, and by extension him, trouble.

The trouble he expected to find outside on his balcony was not a completely nude, human Kimiko wrapped in the arms of a half-dressed Jack Spicer.

His first instinct was to slaughter the human boy until his blood lust was satisfied, than wrapped the human girl _(Kimiko or Lan-Ying?)_ in his arms and demand answers.

Fortunately, he was able to control his urges and whisk the three of them into the privacy his bedroom afforded.

With a gentleness he did not know he possessed, he lowered his mate to their bed while petting her hair, a movement that caused the female to open her eyes.

Chase took a sharp breath at the sight of the same eyes he had peered into right before the party. Her facial expression was disoriented and hazy, but she clearly recognized him as her master and lover, not her enemy and for that he was more than glad for.

Her consciousness did not last very long, and the strain of her change overtook her once more and caused her to fall back into the bed.

With careful movements, he brought a blanket over her form, shielding her from both the cool night air and the peering eyes of the other human in the room.

Once he was confident she would not waken again any time soon, he returned his attention to Jack.

The boy was obviously scared and confused and those two emotions could lead him to do something stupid.

Chase could kill him quickly and quietly, before the boy would even see it coming. It was instant situation, but messy, and lead to questions and cover-ups.

Creating a web of lies to mask the truth would be difficult, but not impossible. Still, there were other options to explore.

Gesturing to the boy to follow him outside the room, Chase led him down a hallway, the silence heavy between them.

Finally, they reached a small, dark room that was be-spelled to prevent any noise from getting in or out. Chase used it for both meditating and discussing private matters.

" Sit." he commanded, gesturing to the chair placed in the middle of the room.

The boy moved quickly, plopping down in his rush.

Chase examined him, walking around like a lion circling its prey.

" Mr. Spicer. It seems that you have become privy to a secret of my palace," He began.

As he expect, Jack could not stay in shock for long. Chase could pit point the moment the situation sunk in.

" Chase! W-what is going on? Is that Kimiko, the Xiaolin? She has been missing for so long! Or wait; is it some magic power Lan-Ying has? Is she okay?" he said in a hurry.

Chase paused his circling to stand in front of the yelling boy-genius. He was suddenly reminded that, while Jack considered himself evil and was a member of the Heylin alliance, he had a soft side for females, especially the dragon of fire.

Pushing his annoyance down, Chase fixed him with a stare to silence him.

" Lan-Ying and Kimiko are indeed one in the same. However, a very powerful and dangerous Shen Gong Wu has influenced her. She retains no memories before her time in this palace, and is presently being used to strengthen the Heylin side. And I brought you here to . . . request that you insure it is kept that way."

Jack quirked his head like a confused dog.

" What do you mean?"

" All I ask of you is that once Lan-Ying wakes from her slumber, you act as you had before. She is still my apprentice and my mate and if she were to discover the truth, it could cause effects to her that would break or even kill her. And that, " Chase leaned close, baring sharp fangs at the boy and making him cower, " would cause problem for me and anyone who dared hurt her."

" You must tell no one. Not Wuya, not your robots, not even your _grandmother_ "

Moving back, the Heylin emperor began to head to the exit, content that Jack's fear and respect of him would overpower his big mouth and curious nature.

He vaguely heard the boy murmur, " I am so dead" and made a mental note to keep eyes on the boy from then on. For now, he had guests to dismiss and a mate to watch over.

* * *

The first stirrings of Lan-Ying came in the form of a shaky groan and a twitch of the fingers.

As awareness returned to her, the first thing she felt was cold. Very cold.

Reacting by instinct, she moved to tug the blanket closer to her to protect herself from the cool breeze.

Her body ached from the movement, but the real pain came from her pounding skull. Lan-Ying reached her hand upwards to press it against her forehead, massaging with her fingers.

It helped the pain a little and she burrowed further into bed, hoping to sleep more.

Suddenly, she shot up _(which did not help her headache)_ and looked down.

With a sense of disbelief, she watched as the delicate human hands before her flexed and moved at her command.

Using said hands, she moved towards her slender arms, to shoulders and then her neck, which was covered in the long black hair stemming from her head.

Her face was next; moving her nailed over high cheeks, smooth lips and a small nose.

It was unbelievable.

Despite every muscle in her new body protesting her movement, she gently lowered herself to the floor. With two feet firmly planted on the ground, she shifted all her weight to her shaky legs; and immediately found herself collapsing onto the floor.

Letting out a few choice words that she heard Jor say _(and was told not to repeat in polite company)_ she moved to brace herself on all fours, a familiar but at the same time odd position.

The sound of her struggle must have alerted the cats that were stationed outside her room; because she saw shadows move from underneath the door and heard the scampering of claws run down the hall.

Knowing that Chase was likely on his way, she put all her concentration into getting back onto the bed.

It was only then, with two arms placed on the bed while her legs were folded underneath her, that she noticed why she was still so cold.

While in her dragon form, her high internal body temperature and thick scaly skin kept her warm.

Now, she was bare to the elements, save for the parts that her long hair covered.

Waiting for the inevitable entrance of the emperor, she took the time to look at her form.

Having only seen Chases' bare form as refernce, she took notice that, while the essential parts were the same, she was far more slender and shorter. She was not ignorant to the differences between females and males, but while her more delicate parts were well hidden within her scaled body, this form left them for all eyes to see.

She felt to need to explore more.

And so, that is how Chase Young came to find her, sitting on the floor with her breasts in her hands, thoroughly engrossed in them.

Looking up at the sound of his entrance, she looked up and, for lack of a better reaction, smiled.

* * *

Of all the sights Chase had seen in his very long life, this was the one that had given him pause.

When he had been alerted to Lan-Ying's awakening, he rushed from his dining room to see her.

It had been two days and he was almost _(dare he believe it?)_ worried that she would not be waking up.

However, nothing could prepare him to open the door to his room to find his now-human mate touching her body in such an intimate way.

The more primal part of him wanted to lock the door and show her the _proper_ way to handle herself, especially since he had been without her for what felt like years.

Yet, it was his more human part that won out and moved to help her onto her feet.

" How are you? Are you feeling ill?" he asked hesitantly.

The female braced her arms upon his shoulders and stood against him until she felt herself become stable.

" I am well. Very confused, but besides some aches and pains, nothing to worry over," she responded, before looking up at him with those familiar blue eyes.

" Chase, what happened, why am I human?" she asked, leaning toward him.

The man wanted to respond, but was becoming distracted at the feel of her warm, soft body against his.

He moved to sit her down on the bed, before grabbing the robe he positioned on a nearby table and placed it on her until she was clothed.

" It would appear that whatever magic that caused your memory laps has reacted within you and caused a form shift. You have been sleeping for two days," he said, not exactly lying.

Lan-Ying looked excited.

" Does that mean my memories will come back? Will I remain human?"

Chase placed a hand on the back of her head and stroked her in a similar way as when she was a dragon.

" We shall see about your memories, little dragon. But your form should remain the same in the foreseeable future."

The black-haired girl nodded and a hush fell over both of them.

The Heylin emperor fell backwards onto the bed and closed his eyes, the stress of the past two days finally overtaking him.

After going back down to his guests, he made excuses for Lan-Ying, saying that she was tired from a combination of harsh training and her first social gathering, and lingered for an hour more before ending the event and dismissing his guests.

He then spent his time with Lan-Ying, watching over her and making sure that the power of the Fang did not drain her. It was only until Mao came back from his assignment that he entrusted her care to him and left to oversee his affairs and feed himself.

Now that she was awake and her condition was stable, he could calm his mind and rest.

Of course, that was difficult to do when a gorgeous woman, whom he had been lusting after for a long while, was climbing atop of his body and giving a smile that declared her intention to devour him whole.

" It just occurred to me that we haven't mated in a few days. You must be tense," she said coyly, already beginning to remove his armor.

" You need rest, not vigorous physical activity" he responded half-heartily, his body already reacting positively to her hips sliding against his.

"What I need is to try out this body to make sure it is as compatible as the other" she replied, scrapping her nails down his now-bare chest.

With inhuman speed, Chase flipped Lan-Ying onto her back, pinning her hands above her head, to her displeasure.

" I am sure it is, but the fact still remains that you-"

His speech was cut short when the female had wrapped her legs around his waist and thrusted her hips to meet his now straining groin.

Screwing his eyes shut, he gripped her wrists a little harder to avoid letting out the groan that was trying to claw its way out of his throat.

A task that was proving difficult as she continued her movements ever so slowly.

Chase re-opened his eyes to meet the knowing smirk of his mate.

Leaning down to hover inches above her waiting lips, he growled

" You play with fire, dear girl."

She chuckled lowly, raising her lips to meet his in a desperate kiss.

Tongues and teeth fought for dominance, before they pulled away, both out of breath.

Lan-Ying moved herself forward, nuzzling his neck before leaning close to his ear.

" Burn me, Chase."

His resolve snapped.

* * *

Lan-Ying knew very little about human mating habits. She knew plenty about dragons from personal experience, but only because Chase was a grand teacher, both outside and inside the bedroom.

When Wuya gave her little speech about not being enough, she had been curious. After all, what could human mating given Chase that dragon mating couldn't?

So, a short trip to the grand library left the female standing over the few scrolls and books she could find on the subject.

Most were just about the act of procreation, but right before she gave up, having learned the basics, she found herself engrossed in, what the cover declared itself as, a passionate, erotic journey.

She was not sure how exactly the book got into Chase's library, but at the current moment, she was extremely grateful for it.

With every movement she made, she saw Chase grow from rational emperor to hazy lust-filled beast.

It was magnificent.

However, all thought left her head when the man pulled his gloves off with his teeth, leaving him in only his silken pants.

Using the newly ungloved hands, the man maintained eye contact, while moving down her body.

He pulled the rope from her robe, allowing it to fall from her form and once more exposing her to the cool air.

Continuing his path, Lan-Ying could not even make a noise when he reached her wet center.

He made no movement to continue, however, instead hovering just above, but not touching.

The woman made a strangled groan, thrusting upwards.

" What is it you want?" he whispered, his eyes glowing in the dark room.

She looked at him, her eyes clouded over.

" I . . . I don't know. I want more."

Chase smirked.

" More what?"

She sunk her still sharp nails into his shoulders.

" More of you."

That was apparently the right answer, as it caused him to glide two fingers into her very core and her spine to go rigid in pleasure.

Scratching him down his back, she could only communicate in a series of groans and gasps, but Chase seemed to understand as he moved harder and faster at her pleas.

She thought she had reached the tip of pleasure, when something wet, rough and long joined his fingered.

Chase had moved to between her legs without her notice and was now looking at her with that burning golden stare while he licked and nibbled at her.

Lan-Ying felt like her very insides were being squeezed and the moment when Chase took her sensitive bud into his mouth, the constricting hold burst and she melted into him like she never had before.

If mating with Chase when he was a dragon was a passionate spar, then this was like a hot-blooded dance that ending with her entire being collapsing.

Dreamily remembering the parts of the book she had read, she looked down to see Chase straining out of his pants.

She apparently had surprised him when she reached down, slowly lowering his pants and gently taking his erection into her hand.

She teased the head with her thumb and stroked gently, listening to the man above's breathing become shallow.

She was feeling quite proud of herself, able to give him pleasure even when her head was still foggy from her lingering orgasm, when Chase pulled her hand away.

She looked almost hurt, like she had done something wrong, when he proceeded to bite her neck lightly.

" Calm yourself, dear girl. We still have much to do."

She relaxed in his arms, before smiling at him.

Chase lowered her down into a nest of pillows, stroking her cheek and wrapping her silky hair around his fingers while nibbling his way down her neck, before stopping before her breasts.

Chase softly took her nipple into his mouth, swirling his rough tongue around it briefly, before moving to the other to give it the same treatment.

Lan-Ying would have asked him to stay there forever, and gave a noise of objection as he stopped his movements. However, he ignored her, peppering her skin with kisses and licks as he moved between her legs, spreading them to accommodate his size.

She watched curiously as he took his appendage in hand, stroking it slowly as he gazed down at her.

" You are quite beautiful, Lan-Ying" he said, a certain fondness in his voice.

He did not given her time to respond to the compliment, however, before lowering his hips to meet hers, gradually inserting himself into her welcoming opening.

He paused for a moment, and she was going to object, but the look on his face both confused and frightened her.

At first, he looked perplexed, like something unexpected had happened. Then he looked like he was contemplating his next move, and when he had decided that move, a grin overtook his face, one that was both happy and malicious.

" Chase, what are you doi-"

Her question was cut short when the man thrust forward quickly, so unlike the gentle approach he had been taking, and something within her burst, causing a pain to jolt through her whole body.

A tear escaped her closed eyes, and she wanted to ask what the hell he was doing, but at the moment, she was just grateful he had stopped his movements.

A hand on the back of her neck forced her head up and powerful lips were crashed with hers.

The pain still lingered, and when she opened her watering eyes, the man moved away and gave her a sympathetic look.

" Shhh. It will be over soon. It will be much better, just wait." he breathed against her cheek.

When he began to pull out, she objected, but true to his word, the pain did not renew, and the pleasure started to take over.

Before long, both parties were nothing but a mess of moans, growls and sweat.

Lan-Ying met him thrust for thrust and they created a rhythm all their own.

The feeling within her was building once again, and it made her feel like she was going to erupt.

Chase, it appeared, was feeling similar, because his thrusts became animalistic, much like their previous mating.

Together, they fell, clawing at each other, drawing blood and groans.

Chase crumpled onto her, exhausted in a way that she had never seen, even after training.

Lan-Ying appreciated the intimacy of having their bodies together, but they were both sweaty and he was significantly heavy.

She pushed against him, in hopes of moving him away, and in response, he wrapped herself around her and pulled them into a more comfortable position.

Despite having just woken from a two-day sleep, the female sign contently and let herself fall into slumber.

* * *

Chase watched his mate rest, her head lying on his chest as she silently breathed.

He had never been so energized during his physical releases.

Maybe it was because he was finally fulfilling his desire to bed the Xiaolin monk, or because he had been denied her company after becoming used to mating everyday.

He also had never given so much consideration to a lover, giving them pleasure before thinking of his own.

Such thoughts reminded him of what exactly had just occurred. For some odd reason, her virginity was never a thought in his head. They had mated many times in dragon form and no resistance was ever met.

However, upon entering her human form, he found a tiny barrier that reminded him that she was, indeed, a monk and had taken a vow of chastity. While in a reptile appearance, it was easy to forget this, but now he had solid proof of her faithfulness to her cause.

By ripping through that barrier, she was breaking her vow and subjecting herself to possible exile by the monks.

It was likely that they would take into consideration that she does not remember her vows, but the reality of her lost chastity would remain.

Yet, that was all under the assumption that she would go back to the Xiaolins. If he had his way _(and he usually did)_ , she would remain a Heylin forever.

He paused slightly, but then that voice, that wicked voice, overtook his thoughts.

 _One thrust_ it said.

_One thrust and she will be yours forever. No more vow to them, her vow to remain by your side will be the only one left, the only one that matters._

He could not stop the grin that emerged at such a thought and with one move, he broke through and claimed her as his own.

In the passion of the moment it was a splendid idea, but he thought that as the heat died down, he would second-guess the decision.

Nevertheless, as he looked down at the woman, sleeping so peacefully and fitting so perfectly against him, he could only pull her closer and whisper to her before drifting off to sleep with her.

_Mine . . . . . ._


	11. Mask

The morning sun shined through the large windows, falling down upon a sleeping Lan-Ying and stirring her from her deep slumber. Scrunching her face in displeasure, she curled further into the warm chest of the man next to her to keep away from the beams, but unfortunately, she was awake.

She aroused, slowly and careful, still dazed from the previous night's events, and disentangled herself from the man and extracted herself from the bed.

Upon feeling her toes touch the cold floor, she was once again reminded of her recent bodily change and scurried over to the large mirror. Looking at her reflection, she couldn't believe her eyes.

She was human.

It wasn't a dream.

Feeling giddy, she spun in a circle, looked at her behind and expecting a tail to follow. However, no tail appeared.

No horn or scales or long fangs.

Her nails were still fairly sharp, but that was to her advantage.

Looking back at her own image, she really analyzed her appearance.

She looked almost exactly like she did in her dreams; except for her still reptilian eyes. Yet, for some reason, looking at herself made her sad for a moment.

Like she was missing something important.

The feeling, however, passed as quickly as it came and she turned her attention to her still slumbering mate.

Walking quietly, she tensed every muscle in her body, getting close to the bed before springing into action.

She weighted a bit less, so she overestimated how much strength it would take to make the leap, but she still managed to tumble into the large bed, appreciating the softness in a whole different way, now that she wasn't feeling it with scales and claws but soft skin and a delicate touch.

Chase, though, did not seem to appreciate her sudden and violent leap, as it startled him awake and sent his body into attacking the threat. He growled loudly, pinning her down and baring large fangs that did not fit his human appearance.

His golden eyes were gleaming, the irises little more that tiny slits as adrenaline pumped through his system, preparing for a fight.

Lan-Ying should have felt frightened in that moment, but as the excitement of the moment coursed throughout her body, she felt light-headed and almost drunk on the danger. Feeling courageous, she pushed her hips against his still- naked body.

Once the man registered who exactly was pinned underneath him and moving in such a delectable way, he calmed down, pulling away but not letting up his hold on her, despite his body's obvious reaction to her actions.

Looking down at her with a displeased expression gracing his face, he was able to snarl at the smiling female.

" What exactly do you think you are doing, Lan-Ying?"

" Enjoying the morning?" she said, grinning wider.

" By making a surprise attack on me in my sleep?" he responded, finally letting her side up.

" No, I apologize. I just felt good and wanted to share the feeling. "she replied, moving her hand to his chest and applying pressure to force him on his back.

Chase gave into her, leaning against the headboard to watch the woman.

She crawled atop of him, placing her slender legs on either side and began to express her good mood in the form of licks and nips along his neck.

The Heylin warrior let himself get lost in the sensation for a moment, grasping her by the hips, before taking a large handful of hair and forcing her mouth away from his neck and onto his lips.

Reminding her who was dominant, he bit and sucked, kissing her until she pleaded for air.

Pulling back, he watched as her face flushed and she breathed heavily from his efforts.

"Step back and let me look at you," he command, pushing her to move away from his body before presenting herself on her knees.

Hungry eyes swept over her, enjoying recounting last night's events, the evidence of which were marked on her skin in the form of bites and scraps all over.

 _" Beautiful,"_ he thought. _" And all mine."_

Lan-Ying watched him examine her, before she grew impatient and leaned forward to continue their previous actions.

Just as their lips brushed again, a heavy pounding echoed throughout the room.

Chase, not one to ignore his servants, snarled at the door, but rose anyway.

Grabbing his pants that had been thrown to the floor, he looked over at Lan-Ying.

" Keep the blankets around you," was his instruction before he opened the door, coming face to face with Mao.

" This better be very important," he said, glaring.

" It is, sire. The Spicer boy is here, asking for an audience and given the knowledge he holds, I think it is wise to come down." the Asian man explained, looking past Chase at Lan-Ying.

He leaned closer.

" Also, considering certain . . . . changes to our home, I think it is best for you to discuss with the others and prevent any tragedies that might occur."

Chase understood the meaning.

Up until two days ago, the sight of any Xiaolin monks, much less one on their own, was to be meet with violent force. After all, they were the enemy.

He would indeed need to figure many things out, and very soon.

With a nod, Mao was dismissed and Chase closed the door with a quiet ' click'.

Turning to the Japanese girl, he saw as her blazing eyes followed his every movement.

She watched as he walked behind the changing screen, appearing a moment later in his full armor.

Making his way to the bed, he grabbed a dark blue cloth from the table near the bed.

" This is for you. It is light weight and easy for you to move in, but elegant enough that you will look like the Heylin that you are now." he explained, observing as she grazed the material lightly.

" I never had to wear clothing before," she stated, still examining the material.

" It did not matter before. It matters now. No one should view you in this state but me."

She obviously had more questions, but he held up a hand to stop her from voicing them.

" I must attended to this. You are free to stay here, but if you must leave, ask Mao to accompany you."

That caused a spark of irritation to flicker across her face.

" Why? Am I suddenly a prisoner in my own home?" she snipped at him.

Chase reached out laid a kiss to the crown of her head.

" No, but the cats are not aware of your change. They will view you as an outsider and attack. I need to settle matters, but it will not take long."

" I can take care of myself," she protested.

Standing up, he looked at her glaring form.

" I am aware. But still, it is my command, one that you will not question" he said in a tone that she frequently heard when they were training.

It was a reminder that, though mate she may be, he was also her master.

She gave no response, only bowed and watched him walk out the doors, clicking them shut behind him.

Collapsing to the bed, she huffed before looking once more at the clothing.

" Well. Might as well get dressed, I suppose."

* * *

Meanwhile, Chase walked to his throne room, escorted by Mao.

Upon reaching the double golden doors that would lead to his annoying guest, Chase paused for a moment, resting his hands gently upon the handles but make no effort to open them.

Mao gave him a questioning look.

" Sir? Is all well?" he asked, cautious of Chase's already foul mood.

The warrior did not reply at first, only taking a deep breath.

It felt like eons of silence stretched between them before the man spoke

" The minute I open these doors, everything will change. The months of peace within my palace will end. Mao," Chase turn away from the doors to face his trusted advisor.

" You know the truth now. Eventually, so will the world. From this moment, I foresee a spiral of chaos starting, and the end result is nothing but darkness to me. I cannot lock Lan-Ying away, but sending her out into the world would mean my lost. What should I do?"

In the thousand or so years that Mao had served Chase Young, he has seen much. But never did he think he would see the fear lurking deep within the brave man.

Love was a power that no magic compared to, it seemed.

" My lord. You must have known about this long before her change. You knew that a time would come that the secret would break. And while I will not pretend to understand your strife or why you choose to create this situation, I do understand the need to keep what you care about close to you. I have grown fond of Lady Lan-Ying and believe she is a strong, capable woman. It will be difficult to predict how this will end, but have faith, sire. That is all I can tell you."

Chase let out a dry chuckle, choosing to open the doors instead of respond.

The minute of uncertainty was gone. As he stepped through the threshold and gained the attention of all who occupied the room, he was the powerful Heylin Emperor once more.

" Jack Spicer. I would have thought my meaning from yesterday's conversation was clear." The man said, ice in his voice.

Jack, despite claiming to be a genius, did not do the smart thing and leave the situation alone.

" Well, I was just wondering. I can't just ignore this, it's eating at my brain. Why is Kimiko here? Are you the one that kidnapped her? Because she has been missing for months." the boy rambled, unaware of how the golden-eyed man was stalking closer with every word.

Jack stopped talking when he felt hot breath down his neck. Turning very slowly, he came eye-to-scaly chest with an irritated dragon.

The red-haired boy barely had time to scramble backwards as the creature growled fiercely.

" What make you think I owe you any answers? I could just devour you right now and earn your silence," hiss out a voice that was a fair cry from human.

The boy gave a nervous smile.

" Because if you were going to kill me for knowing, you would have done it at the ball" he said with more confidence than he was actually feeling.

The boldness of the statement actually made the creature draw back with a sneer.

Clawing his way to the throne, the giant dragon settled itself and peered down at the cowering human.

" Kimiko is the Xiaolin dragon of fire. Lan-Ying is my apprentice and a Heylin empress. They are different creatures."

Jack look around nervously.

" But not really, right?" he asked the dragon, who chuckled darkly in response.

" You have brief moments of intelligence, Spicer, but they are few and far between. An incident occurred that cause a lapse of memory in the female. She had since then made a pack with me and defected to the Heylin side. There is nothing else to tell. I will repeat myself only once more. Treat her as our ally, act as if nothing is amiss."

The red head looked like he wanted to say something, but reined it in.

Chase huffed in annoyance.

_" What is it, now?"_

Jack looked anywhere but at the reptile on the throne.

" What if the Xiaolins find out?"

The large creature growled, tired of the conversation. He signaled for his felines to escort him out, retreating to release all the frustrations of the morning.

* * *

Lan-Ying peaked her head out of the doors, looking down the empty hallway. Everything was quite, so the padding of her bare feet against the cool ground echoed loudly. She was supposed to find Mao, but this was her home and despite what Chase said, she did not need a glorified babysitter.

Still, it felt so odd to be wondering the halls on two feet. She observed her surroundings with new eyes, everything looking different and familiar at the same time.

Looking downwards, she took a moment to appreciate the clothing that now graced her frame. The long sleeved dressed was a beautiful dark blue, with golden lotus flowers embroidered upon it. It stopped a little before her knees, giving her flexibility to move around as she pleased.

The blue-eyes female moved quickly, turning a corner sharply in her rush, and bumping into a large, furry form as she did.

Recognizing the white fur anywhere, she opened her mouth in a form of a greeting to her friend, but instead took a sharp breath as she felt herself knocked down and pinned by the large feline.

Glowing red eyes stared angrily down at her, fangs bared and dripping as if preparing to consume her.

Chase taught her to show no fear in the face of an enemy, but Lan-Ying could not stop herself from flinching and her eyes widening as she looked on with panic at the fierce creature.

" Jor?" she whispered, afraid that any noise louder would cause him to attack.

Her voice seemed to snap him out of his desire to attack, making him step away and examine her closely. The woman did not move from her spot on the ground.

He sniffed her guardedly, before relaxing his body with a flick of his tail against her cheek.

Lan-Ying stood up gradually, watching as the man shifted to his human form.

" Jor! It's me!" she said in a hurry, realizing that her change was just as new to everyone in the palace as herself.

" Yes. I . . . see." he said with a weary tone to his voice.

She sensed awkwardness between them but could not grasp why.

" Well. I was looking for Chase. Have you seen him?" she asked, eager to move along.

Jor stood a little straighter at the mention of his master, as if suddenly remembering what he was doing before their happenstance.

" He is in the training hall by himself. I will lead you there, if you wish." the man replied, acting far more formal than he ever had been with her.

She would be lying if she said she wasn't hurt by the coldness of the encounter.

They walked in silence until they reached the doors.

Lan-Ying did not bother to knock, suddenly eager to get away from the viking warrior. He watched her enter the room carefully until she was out of his sight.

She moved into the room, watching her mate moving slowly through his training routine.

She waited quietly for him to finish, perched on the edge of the wall. She took in his every movement, admiring the way his body flexed and relaxed at his command.

When he finally finished, she jumped down, joining him on the floor.

" I did not expect to see you so soon. I would have thought you exhausted from last nights activities," Chase said, not looking at her as he began to put his armor back on

" You more than anyone should know that I have great stamina." she replied, sporting a cheeky smile. It did not last however, as her mood was still soured from before.

" What is it?" Chase asked suddenly, and Lan-Ying realized he had probably noticed her when she had drifted for a moment.

" I was wondering why Njord or any of the felines would be upset by my new form?" she asked, voicing her worries.

Chase's face gave nothing away, but the she noticed a slight tensing of his posture.

" Did something happen?" he inquired.

The dark haired girl shrugged.

" I'm sure General Stein just didn't recognize me, but for a brief moment, he looked like I was some intruder that he wanted to kill."

The Heylin emperor moved close to her, taking her face in his palms.

" It is nothing. I have had Mao explain your change to most of the felines, however, Stein just arrived back and did not hear of it. He simply though you a threat and did as he was trained."

Chase stroked her cheek softly, trying to comfort the female who obviously felt rejected by her family.

" I have some news that may lift your spirits" He said suddenly, moving away from her to grab a box from the floor.

Lan-Ying watched as he brought the large box over to her.

" You will begin to go out on assignments soon. Small, at first. Just to observe," he began, motioning for her to open it.

She didn't know what to expect.

Jewelry. Clothing. Maybe even a small weapon of some sort.

Instead, she was graced with the sight of a mask.

Not a complete one. It was made to cover the lower portion of her face, golden and gleaming in the light. It looks like the mouth of a vicious statue, a fanged smile frozen in time.

" I don't understand," she said, staring down at the gift.

Chase gently took it from the box.

" It is for your protection. I have many enemies who would like to get their hands on you." he said, placing the mask upon her face and securing it in the back like it was the finest piece of jewelry ever made.

Lan-Ying stood still, looking up at him with curious eyes as he led her to the small pool of water in the room.

Moving to look down, she saw herself. Glowing blue eyes peeked back at her from under her long, onyx hair. She felt the weight of the mask along the back of her skull, and for all the times she had seen her own reflection, in both dragon and human form, this was the first time that what looked back frightened her.

" I look terrifying" she said is a quiet voice.

The image of the green-haired man joined her own in the pool.

" That is the point. Put fear into your enemies and they will never put fear into you."

The female moved away from the pond to look at her mate.

" With this, I can go out?" If the price of freedom of the outdoors was as simple as a hidden face, she would gladly pay it.

Chase grinned at her with those sharp fangs.

" With this, you can conquer worlds. And, " he pulled it down to rest around her neck, bring her into a passionate kiss that made her knees shake before pulling away," I will be there right besides you. Together, we will lead the world into a new age. A Heylin age."

With a sweeping bow, he gestured for her to grab his arm.

" Shall we, my empress?"

Placing her mask back onto her face, she stepped to him and joined him, moving out the door with every bit of grace and confidence as a true Heylin queen.


	12. Turning Point

The mask was heavy.

That was the main thought dominating the black-haired beauty's brain as she leapt through the trees, trying to keep pace with her swift-footed master.

The mask was made of solid gold, and while it actually weighed less than she though it would, it still was no easy burden to carry around her head.

It wasn't just the physical weight that bothered her, though.

Chase had lectured her thoroughly before they left the palace.

Under no circumstance was she to remove her mask outside of the palace. She was to remain quiet unless spoken to and if any enemies were to approach, she was to keep to the shadows and be an observer only.

It felt almost like her first day with Chase all over again. He acted like she was a rambunctious child and did not know how to listen.

While her curiosity to see the world through new eyes did excited her, she felt a little insulted. She would not run away and cause trouble for him.

It was those thoughts that over took her mind, causing an almost collision with her master's back.

When she took a sharp breath, ready to question their next move, she was silenced with a click of his tongue and a hand at the small of her back, forcing her into a crouching position.

Her temper flared from mildly annoyed to out right offended, being silenced like an animal, however, she did as she was instructed, observing the scene before her.

The pair of Heylins rested in the thick of a forest, watching a small dragon bask in the sunlight. He did not look particularly threatening or even interesting, and for a brief moment, Lan-Ying wondered if Chase had taken her outside just to hunt for ingredients for his next dinner.

That thought was dispelled with the rustling of a bush that revealed a small human. Round and short, the hairless boy looked upon the dragon with annoyance.

" Dojo! Are you resting when my companions and I are straining to find the Shen Gong Wu?" he as harshly.

Lan-Ying was met with a sudden burst of delight at the young boy, wanting to laugh at his childish scolding of the creature.

" Relax Omi. I am sure you will find it soon, so why should I not catch up on my tanning while I wait?" the creature replied.

" Because dragon's don't tan," a voice interjected from another direction, soon revealing another human, large and dressed oddly.

The female leaned in closer, enjoying the exchange, but was met with an arm across her body and a glare from the man next to her.

" You don't know that." the green dragon replied, but rose from his resting position anyway.

The hulking human looked as if he was going to reply, but was interrupted by yet another, new voice.

" Are you guys seriously standing around while I do all the work here?" the newest member said, tossing a small golden ball in the air with one hand while looking disapprovingly at the group.

" Raimundo! You have discovered the Shen Gong Wu! Now we may return home, too sweet," exclaimed the round boy.

" I think you mean " tut sweet" Omi" said the large man.

" Whatever. Yes, let's go" the final boy replied.

Lan-Ying felt the urge to jump down, but was stopped with the quietly hissed command in her ear

" Stay here unless I specifically ask you to join me" he said, before jumping down in a quick motion, snapping the golden ball out of the brown-haired boys hand before he even knew what happened.

Chase stood before them, examining the object and appearing to pay no attention to the group.

" Chase Young. Why am I not surprised?" said the apparent leader, motioning for the ball to be returned. " I really don't feel like doing this right now. So if I could have that back, we can get out of your ridiculous hair and you can crawl back to your crazy cat lair."

Her master just quirked at eyebrow at him, giving no reply.

" My, my. Someone seems to have lost a bit of his fire." he replied, apparently making some sort of joke at the human's expense.

" You think that is funny, don't you?" the leader spat, seemingly infuriated at the joke.

Chase circled them, smirking.

" A bit, yes. Still, I prefer to win my prizes, so I will make you a deal." he announced, stopping right in front of the small human.

" No interested. Besides, you don't have any Wu to wager," the large man spoke, before his leader could say something regretful.

Chase adopted a bored look, and Lan-Ying felt much like she was watching one of the cat's play with their food.

" No? I suppose not. I was actually going to bet information, but since you do not wish to hear it . . . " Chase sighed, almost dramatically, and began to walk away.

However, the round boy took the bait.

" What information could you have that you are willing to part with? I know you keep your secrets close, Chase Young"

That, apparently, was the question Chase had been waiting for.

" Let's just say that I have an inkling of a clue where you could, ahhh how should I put this? Reignite your flame?" he explained.

There was a deep silence between the males, as the Heylin's words settled in their brains.

" You _bastard._ Is this all one big joke?" hissed the leader, looking ready to pounce.

Chase chuckled, the deep, sinister sound making the female's spine crawl.

" Oh, I am being completely serious. I swear on my honor as a warrior," he said, tempting the humans.

It was the large man that finally spoke.

" Fine. Set the challenge."

The air itself seemed to buzz with those words.

" I propose a simple challenge. A race through the trees. First to the end wins." her master stated.

The humans confirmed with him and before Lan-Ying could understand what was happening, the tree she hid herself away in began to stretch and grows. Digging her sharp nails into the rough bark, she felt the world spin and expand, shaping itself to become the game board.

When the tree stopped moving, the dragon woman felt her stomach lurch and the world spin. A biting feeling in her hands made her vaguely aware that the wood of the tree had cut her skin and her under nails were bleeding.

Trying to put herself back into order, she closed her eyes, and took deep breaths until her stomach no longer rebelled.

Opening her vision to the world once again, her sharp blue eyes took in the scene.

The once small, bright forest was now a dark, intimating fortress of roots and trees. The tree she placed herself on must have been hundreds of feet up.

Gently, she brought her hand to her mouth, licking away the blood and soothing the pain, while observing the scene before her.

The fours males were each situated upon different branches and it seems her presence was still unnoticed. She could hear nothing but the sounds of her own breathing and she waited on edge.

A flash of movement and the human leader and Chase were gone.

The other two human followed at a slower pace, and Lan-Ying held herself back until she could hear but not see them, following like a curious shadow.

* * *

Chase felt no particular urgency to win the game, but had little patience for the human monks. He had not anticipated running into their group, and while he worried about Lan-Ying, he also knew that avoiding the group would seem more suspicious than interacting with them.

So, he hopped, branch to branch, avoiding any attempts at attacking his body from the Brazilian loud mouth.

While impulsiveness was never a character trait of his, he felt the overwhelming urge to bat around the Xiaolin monks like toys. They were so desperate to find their missing dragon, and Chase was so desperate to kill the idea that she would ever go back to them. He spoke honestly, really having information about Kimiko's whereabouts, and felt a surge of superiority knowing that they were so close to her, and yet so far away.

His thoughts drifted to his apprentice, hidden in the leaves but following close by. He knew there would be questions, but for now, he enjoyed having her close to his side, a hidden secret.

The dragon warrior's ideas of how he would distract his young mate from too many questions, ones that involved his bed, or possibly the dining room table, distracted him enough that he almost missed the blast of cutting wind directed at his skull.

Baring his head left, the wind passed by harmlessly, and he felt the wind dragon's frustration with a delicious sense of triumph.

The end of the maze was in sight, and with a firm lead, Chase let the monk catch up, let him almost taste his victory, before he was kicked aside, landing with a hard ' thunk' against a large tree trunk, and the Heylin pulled ahead.

The world snapped back into place and the four men stood, as if they had not just participated in an otherworldly grudge match.

Chase examined the small golden ball now in his possession, recollecting that it had the ability to change the holder's body into pure gold. Not particularly useful. He tossed it back at the monk's leader and began to walk away.

" Are you serious? You don't even want it?" the green eyed boy asked with fury.

Chase did not even stop his stride back into the trees.

" No, foolish dragon. I just feel it fair that I remind you that you are less than I from time to time."

He then disappeared back into the tree where his eager mate sat in wonder.

He looked her over, mildly impressed that she managed to do as she was told. Patience was not her strong suit. A frown overtook his face at the small bits of dried blood clinging to her nails, and he pulled her forward, moving the mask down to her neck to make sure no farther harm was done.

He had not expected to run into the monks or participate in a showdown, so he did not think of how the black-haired girl would react to things he was impartial to, such as the changing landscape or sudden match.

From the ground below, he heard the screaming of the monks' leader, demanding he return and reveal what he knew about his teammates disappearance.

" Chase . . . " began said missing teammate.

He let out a quiet hiss to indicate her silence was necessary to not give away their position, a sound than made her eyes blazed in irritation.

The Heylin emperor strand to hear if the monks had left, but he was distracted by the sharp bit of her nails sinking into the flesh of his arm.

" Lan-Ying" he warned, angry at her impatience.

" Chase Young?" sounded a voice from below, revealing that Omi had discovered them and was now looking at the two Heylins in wonder.

They disappeared in a flash of movement.

* * *

The whole trip back, Chase was silent to her many queries.

Knowing the man well enough, she could tell he was seriously displeased, most likely at her, but she did not care.

The whole trip outside had made her head swim, every smell, voice and sight being both new and exciting, and heart breakingly familiar.

Her life before Chase was still a fog of grey, but every time she decided she did not care to ever know her past, someone or something would happen, jogging a feeling or memory she did not understand.

It was a flash of light in her brain, never around long enough for her to get a grasp on it.

Upon arriving back into the palace, she opened her mouth to demand answers. She would not be satisfied until Chase stopped keeping her locked away, both from herself and him.

A smaller tiger bounding into the hall interrupted the budding argument.

" Master! Master!" the creature mewed, almost colliding with the two angry dragons.

Lan-Ying would have laughed if she weren't so furious.

" Get on with it" Chase barked, making the other two flinch at the harshness of his tone.

"Lady Wuya and Lord Spicer arrived while you were gone. Er, well. . Lord Spicer actually never left. He got lost and then she came to find him and they are waiting in the throne room." The shivering creature explained.

The emperor growled, dismissing the tiger with a wave of his hands.

The female thought she heard a low " _surrounded by idiots today_ " said under his breath, but she swallowed her comeback, feeling that she would lose it if she did not calm down soon.

Straightening her back, she meant to follow him to the throne room, trying to look as every bit collected and intimidating as he usually did.

A door slamming in her face was her only indication was her presence was not wanted.

Huffing, Lan-Ying set off for a smaller training room, planning to burn her anger away.

* * *

The walk to the meeting gave Chase time to cool his thoughts.

He wasn't exactly angry at Lan-Ying, she did not really do anything wrong.

Still, he had allowed both of them to let their guard down momentarily and because of it; Omi could have gotten a clear view at the face he was trying hard to hide away.

He felt confident that he had blocked the yellow monk's view, but the fact that it had occurred angered him never the less.

Than the usually quiet Lan-Ying would not stop looking for answers and he could feel her annoyance grow every time he ignored her.

Damn it.

He just wanted to return to his home, take care of business matters and than burn his excess tension away by secluding himself and his mate in the bathing pool for a few hours.

Or days, based on how tense he could feel himself growing at every step closer to the wicked witch and her bumbling monkey.

The large, ornate doors opened for him and he was met with the sight of the redheaded witch lounging on his throne, looking for the entire world like she belonged there.

" Chase." she purring upon seeing him, a cheshire grin stretching across her face.

He did not respond, only climbed the stairs with measured steps.

" Wuya. Whatever could you possibly want now?" he asked.

She slinked out of the seat like a snake.

" Just thought I would visit an old friend. Pop in and see how you have been. Find out what you have been doing." she explained, never taking her eyes off him.

He was in no mood to play her games.

" I have been running an empire, being a leader. Which means I have no time to waste on you." he replied in a bored tone, placing himself on his throne.

" Hmmm yes. So busy with your . . . people. That's why you have been so negligent. I'm sure it has nothing to do with the slimy creature you let warm your bed." she exclaimed in a malicious manner.

Chase narrowed his golden eyes.

" Watch your tone."

Wuya shrugged, looking around the room.

" I am just pointing out you have made no moves against the Xiaolin lately. Very sloppy."

The Heylin warrior signed, as if talking to a child.

" Domination is not just about attack the enemy head on. It's the little battles you win that truly decide strength. You wouldn't know, since you have never had the mind for military endeavors," Chase shifted, moving up and close to the Heylin witch, " However, I have no need to justify my plans to you." He brushed past her, motioning for his guards to escort her out.

" Ha. You gave grown so soft, Chase Young. That apprentice of yours must have some amazing talent to make you change your focus from emperor of the world to small time war lord." she said, artfully dodging the feline guards.

The man gave no visible reaction, allowing her to approach, all snarling teeth and swaying hips.

" Come now, Chase. Let us create chaos like the days before your heart grew warm with love." she whispered, wrapping herself around his arm.

Feeling the weigh of her words, he felt himself disgusted with both his behavior and her closeness. It pained him to admit she was right. He gave Lan-Ying far more time than any apprentice deserved. He was a monk in another life and could easily withdraw from their physical intimacies for a time. He needed to remember who he was.

Not Chase, the caring gentle mate who needed to be with some female all the time.

Chase Young, Heylin emperor, vicious beast and evil master. He shook her off with violence, before pulling her face in a harsh grasp.

" Love is weakness." he replied, before walking out the doors, the cackling women following in his trail.


	13. Time to Wake Up

Black smoke filled the air as the smell of burnt flesh and blood surrounded two lone figures.

Golden eyes surveyed the scene, watching large jungle cats carry away the dead and dying while survivors were huddled together to await their fate. The young and strong would be recruited into his armies, while others would be sent to villages in his other various territories to become servants and workers. The weak would parish.

Wuya's loud cackle interrupted his planning, and he barely spared her a glance before turning back to the ruined village.

" Do you feel that, Chase? The blood rushing through your veins, the sense of victory and superiority over the unworthy? How you must have missed this," she hissed in his ear.

The snake-like woman's words echoed in his mind.

In his early years, death and destruction were his only goals. To have someone's life in his had and know that with the twitch of a muscle, their light would be snuffed out for good; it gave him a high that was unmatched.

However, with the benefit of hundreds of lifetimes, so came insight. It was better to leave the conquered alive, so as to gain their loyalty, then cause needless destruction. The view before him, however, just made him mildly annoyed at the mess he now had on his hands.

Turning from the witch, the Heylin emperor gave the command for his cats to finish their duties and return home, then dismissed himself to leave.

Still, the woman followed.

" What is wrong, Chase? Does the rush of success not satisfy you anymore?" she asked, stubbornly stepping in his path and forcing him to stare her down, " Does only the pleasure of the flesh mollify your hunger?"

Yellow eyes flashed dangerously.

" If you have something to say, Wuya, say it. I don't appreciate back-handed implications."

A sickening grin overtook her pale face.

" Your little pet is a hindrance to your goal of defeating the Xiaolin and taking the world for your own. If you need a toy, fine. But you are letting your focus on her divert her from your path."

Silence surrounded them, with only the distant sound of the crackling fires, fueled by the burning village below.

Suddenly, a deep rumbling laughed escaped from Chase's lips.

" Jealously is unbecoming on you, crone. My affairs are of no one's concern, " the laughing stopped and a growl took its place, " You would be wise to remember that. If I have to have this discussion again, you will not like the outcome."

With that, he walked past her, hearing her mutter curses under her breath but paying her no mind.

He had been away for long enough. He realized how foolish he was acting, letting Wuya's words effect his actions.

He did not love Lan-Ying, was not capable of it. But he did enjoy her company and what she could offer.

And had he not declared her his mate and empress?

All of his plans had been overthrown just because the stupid witch had filled his head with ideas of love and weakness, and now he was going to return home and remind himself that as Heylin emperor, he was allowed to have whatever he please.

First Lan-Ying. Then the world.

* * *

The room was on fire.

Not really her plan, but at least now Lan-Ying felt better.

Upon her arrival to the small room, usually built for quiet mediation, the Heylin apprentice could no longer quell her rage; smoke bellowing from her mouth as she took deep breaths. She imagined herself a terrifying vision, all sharp teeth and claws, glowing eyes, readying to burn the world in her anger

As a result of her venting and sparring, the tapestries that hung on the walls were burning to ashes, the once cool stones were so hot that one could cook on them, and the few pieces of furniture that the room held were now slowly roasting and crumbling away.

Even her beautiful new clothes were not spared her temper, she had come to realize, picking at the burnt holes and ruined sleeves.

Slowly, she peeled the charred material from her sweat-soaked skin. The door unexpected opened, and her glowing turquoise eyes met the surprised red ones of Jack Spicer.

Lan-Ying, vaguely remembering Chase saying that her nude form should not be exposed to anyone but him, drew the material to cover her front and look at the intruder.

Jack, in all his usual glory, shrieked and covered his eyes, shouting, " Sorry! So sorry!" over and over.

" Can I help you?" she question wearily.

Trying to look anywhere but at the girl in the room, Jack furiously tried to remember what he had been doing.

" I-I was just looking for the kitchen. I'm . . . . hungry?" he offered faintly.

With nothing more to do until Chase found her again, the dragon girl nodded absent mindedly, giving a low whistle.

A small puma crawled around the corner, eying the painted human before bowing to Lan-Ying.

" Please escort this man to the kitchens for food. Then, bring a new robe to the bathing area for me, please." she instructed.

The feline gave another bow, grabbing Jack's coat in his teeth and pulling him along, the sounds of the human's " Thank you!" and " I promise I didn't see anything," echoing until there was silence again.

The black haired female made her way to the warmed pools of water, sinking down and letting the stress of the day wash over her.

Too many thoughts swirled in her mind, so she let herself be taken by the soothing rush of the bath, willing her mind into peace and darkness.

_. . . . miko. . . . . oung drag. . . . . kim. . ._

Lan-Ying shot out of the water, scanning her surroundings for intruders. Yet, she was met with nothing.

She heard voices. She knew she heard them. So clear, echoing in her ears and yet foggy and far from her.

She was far more exhausted that she thought. She just wanted to dress, and crawl back into bed for years to come, and when she woke, there would be answers to every question she had.

Alas, life was not that kind.

She took her time, dressing in a deep purple gown, setting her wet hair into a bun atop her head, before venturing into the halls.

One path lead to the main throne rooms, and from there, the bedrooms. However, she felt no inkling of Chase's presence, and so, with him gallivanting out and about, she made her way to the painted human boy.

* * *

The kitchen was a mess. Food scattered the floor, dirty dishes lay in heaps and none of the palace cats could be seen. In the middle of the disarray, sat Jack Spicer, eating something green and slimy out of a bowl, looking as content as could be.

" What have you done?" Asked the dragon girl, wondering how so much damage could have happened in so little time.

" Oh, hey Lan-Ying! I whipped up a little of Spicer's famous mint ice cream! Want some?" replied the human enthusiastically.

The Heylin empress walked over and sat next to him on the filthy ground, not caring that she was getting dirty only minutes after her bath. Her day had been so hectic, that the simple-minded thinking of this boy seemed like just like mental vacation she needed.

" No, thank you." she sighed.

The unyielding stare of the man beside her burned into the side of her face, causing her to lazily turn her gaze to meet his.

" You look terrible."

Of all the things she had expected, that was not it. The sheer shock of this odd human boy coming in her home, tearing up her kitchen and then insulting her was too much, and silence laughs racked her body.

Jack was equally shocked by her reaction to his usual rudeness. Kimiko the Xiaolin warrior would have kicked is ass half way to Canada for that comment. He expected Lan-Ying the Heylin warrior to kill him, or at least maim him. With no other reaction readily available, he joined her laughter.

The two laughed so hard, they rolled on the ground, dirtying themselves more. They continued like this for a moment more, before Jack wiped away the tears that had sprung from his eyes and looked at the female next to him.

He saw,, however that her loud laughter had turned into silent sobs, her arms wrapped around herself.

" H-hey! I didn't mean it! Well, I mean I did, you don't look good. B-b-but I didn't meant to make you cry. Here, look!"

Grabbing the previously discarded bowl of mush, he made sure he had her attention before slamming the whole thing over his head, smiling at the goo dripped down his face and onto his already ruined clothing.

Lan-Ying smiled wearily, wiping the few stray tears that had settled on her cheeks.

" It is alright. It wasn't what you said, it was how you confirmed how I am feeling." she shifted herself upright, reach down and pulling the boy up with her. With both of them standing, she gently pulled the bowl from his head and walked over to the sink, filling it with water and beginning to wash all the dishes she could reach.

The repetition of the chore brought peace to her mind, and that same feeling of nostalgia overtook her, making her sadder that before.

Jack cleared his throat, walking to her side and helping dry the dishes.

" I'm sorry if you are feeling shitty. I know what that is like. But if you need to talk, I have a relatively good attention span and am willing to listen"

The black hair girl made no response for a long while, so Jack jumped a bit when she finally spoke, just as she finished the final dish and retrieved a bucket to fill with warm soapy water.

" Do you think Chase is hiding things from me for my own good, or his?"

This was dangerous territory. One wrong move and he would find himself locked in the palace dungeons, tortured for eternity.

" I think . . . it's both," he said, grabbing some rags and helping her move the bucket to the floor and began cleaning his mess.

" Lan-Ying, I know I may not be the sharpest tack in the box, but if I have learned anything since joining the Heylin side, it is that some questions just lead to pain, be it physical, like Wuya smacking me, or emotional, like having to learn you aren't as important to people as you think"

Lan-Ying hummed in response; soaking in the shockingly wise words of the boy she had previously considered a dolt.

" But what if I need to ask those questions anyway? What if I am not content just being ignorant?"

Jack shrugged helplessly, all out of wise words for the day.

" Then I guess you will have to learn your own lessons."

The atmosphere of the kitchen grew heavy and Jack suffocated in it.

" Okay, I know something that will cheer you up! How about a round of Goo Zombies 4?" he shouted awkwardly, throwing the rag from his hand into the bucket and lifting Lan-Ying from the floor.

" Goo what?" asked the dragon girl, wrinkling her nose.

" Oh, you are going to love this" was his only reply, running out of the kitchen to retrieve his bag, and pulling the confused empress with him.

* * *

"Yes! Eat it, Jack Spicier!" came the shout from the inner bedchamber. Heaped on the bed, surrounded by pillows and blankets, two bodies clutched their gaming systems, one looking triumphant, the other looking pissed.

" Guh, Why did I ever teach you trash talk?" Jack mumbled, restarting the level in aggravation.

" You just can't handle how quickly I learned." she replied, sticking her tongue out between her fanged teeth, making her look more sinister than childish.

The red-haired human didn't say anything, trying to gain the upper hand with her distracted.

It didn't work however, as their games pinged a few minutes later, announcing her victory again.

Jack groan loudly, flopping onto the bed in defeat.

When it was clear he wasn't about to start a new game, she turned off her game and laid next to him, smiling with her good mood. Jack turned to yell at her obvious cheating, when he noticed how close her face was. On the bed. That she shared with an evil dragon lord.

The human never moved so quickly in his life, jumping across the room, and pretending to survey the space that few had ever entered. He tried to keep his eyes from straying from the bed and the pale woman atop it. When she first suggested that they play the game in her room, he objected on the grounds that if Chase caught them, there would be blood spilled.

Lan-Ying only replied that when Chase went off on his trips, especially without telling her, he wouldn't be back any time soon.

Jack was also disturbed with the idea of sitting on the bed that he knew the two held their more. . . . intimate activities on. He tried to explain this to her, but she seemed confused at to why it would bother him. Nevertheless, she ordered the sheets and blankets changed and directed him to which pillows were ' safe ' to sit on (although it took her a little while to find one).

While he contemplated all this, the dragon girl took his silence for sulking, like how the younger cats got when their elders put them in their place.

" What's wrong, Jack? Can't handle getting whooped by a girl?" she said with a smile that rivaled Wuya's.

Jack huffed loudly. " No, It just thought that I would finally have an edge since you can't-" he slapped a hand over his mouth, willing the damning sentence to go away. However, the female caught on to this suspicious behavior.

" I can't what, Jack?" she queried, rising from the bed and approaching him slowly.

The boy shook his head.

" Tell me." she ordered, channeling her master's commanding voice.

" You. . . can't. . . . play?" he offered weakly.

Lan-Ying clicked her tongue.

" Don't think so. I can smell your nervousness. Tell the truth or we will have problems" she whispered, stroking his cheek with her clawed fingers.

The final word slipped from his throat unwillingly in his fear.

" remember"

The turquoise-eyed beauty jolted away from him.

" Remember? How to play a video game?" That didn't make sense. Why would a dragon have known to do that?

She leaned closer, hissing " What do you know, Mr. Spicer"

" Please, Kimiko. I can't talk about it, let's just move on, okay?" Jack responded, moving from her grasp and towards the door. When he looked back, however, he just saw her standing frozen in the middle of the room.

" What's wrong?" he asked nervously.

" What did you call me?" her voice was quivering and any fire that she had in her eyes had died out.

Jack didn't understand.

" Lan-Ying?"

Without warning, her body crashed to the floor, her legs tucked under her body as she clutched her head in her hands.

" No no no no, " she screamed, " That's not my name! What is my name?!"

Her body began shaking as Jack ran to her, leaning down and trying to tear her hands away. Her breathing began to heave and she shook with the coughs that overtook her.

" Lan-Ying, you have to calm down, you have -" he was cut off by her shoving his body away. When he looked at her, he stopped breathing.

Tears rolled down her face as she bared her fangs. Her skin had become unnaturally pale, but the most shocking was her eyes.

The glowing eye of Lan-Ying, with the dragon iris narrowed to a slit, the other, the pale turquoise of Kimiko, pupil dilated looked back at him.

The world stood still as he watched her face crumble as the mental stress became too much. Her body's only defense now was to shut down, but she struggled against that, shaking herself awake.

The loud clattering a footsteps rushed towards the room, as two of Chase's generals threw open the doors.

" What have you done?" the large one roared, frightening Jack into standing and backing against the wall.

The smaller one rushed over to the fallen empress, wrapping her in a strong hold and whispering. She would not be calmed, however, as she lashed out and clawed at his face.

" Stein! Come here and help me!" the man yelled, ignoring the blood that began to run down his face and trying to lift the woman from the ground.

" But what of him, Mao? I-"

" Leave him! Empress Lan-Ying is the priority!" Mao yelled, struggled to gain footing with the thrashing woman.

" No!" was all she yelled, sounding hysterical at this point.

Stein rushed over, and with his strength, led both of them to the bed. Once he had her pinned, Mao rushed to the desk across the room, grabbing a cup of water and pouring a black powder into it. He mixed it hastily and ran back to the bedside.

" Hold her nose and watching your hands. She's aiming to wound," he commanded to Stein.

Screams still emitted from her mouth, but they soon became muffled into mere gargles as the vile liquid was forced down her throat. It took a couple of minutes and a few more deep wounds, but she began to calm down. Once they were sure she had lost her fight, Stein gently brushed away her hair, soothing her into sleep.

" Rest, Lan-Ying. All will be well," he whispered.

" No," she protested weakly, " Not Lan-Ying. Kimiko." she whimpered, before sleep finally wrapped her in its embrace.

Mao rose slowly, examining the other two occupants of the room.

" I think it is wise that I stay here, to make sure no further harm is done. Stein, you will escort our . . . guest to the holding room until Chase returns?"

Stein grunted, grabbing the human boy and throwing him out, glancing back once more.

" You will take care of her?" he asked quietly

Mao nodded.

" As you said, all will be well." Stein nodded, slowly closing the door behind him

Once the two had left, Mao pulled a chair up to her bedside, using a cool rag to pat away her tears and blood.

" At least, that is my hope." he said quietly, fearing the consequences of this new development.

The master may not realize, or perhaps did not want to admit it, but he needed his mate. She brought a balance to him, the stability that he desperately sought. If this was to end badly, if she were to leave, Chase and all he ruled would plunge into a darkness that they may never come back from.


	14. Problems

As Chase approached his home, he could feel a nervous energy humming throughout the palace. There were few of his felines around as he entered, and the ones that were, gave him a wide berth. It was suspicious, but as he heard the distance murmur of a familiar human voice, the emperor felt a migraine begin to form and growled in irritation.

He had already put up with Wuya and her manipulative nonsense, why on earth did he have to put up with her buffoon sidekick?

As he advanced towards the holding chambers of his throne room, the voice grew louder, as well as the voice of General Stein, whispering harshly back at the boy to be _quiet_.

" I can't," Spicer replied, " I talk when I'm nervous and right now, I think I am going to throw up from stress."

" _Shut_ _up_." Stein tried again, with urgency.

" But what will happen? I mean, it wasn't my fault! Chase has to know that."

" Do I?" said man asked, finally entering the room.

Spicer was twitching in his seat, and at the sound of the annoyed emperor, he grew even worse.

" What damage have you cause to my home, now?" Chase prompted. However, he received no response. The master casted a glance at his servant, but the hulking man was stone faced as always. Or . . . perhaps not.

While his face gave nothing away, his posture was tight. The general was not angry at some pitiful human's stunt. He was worried.

" What. Has. _Happened_?" The dragon warrior prompted again, this time leaving nor room for them to ignore him.

" There has been an incident -"

" I am so sorry! I didn't think it would cause any harm!" Jack sprang from his seat.

Stein snarled at the human to sit back down, to no avail.

" Unless you wish to tell the whole story?"

That calmed Spicer enough to sit down and be quiet.

Chase watched them both with trepidation. A heavy feeling developed in his stomach, the cause of which could only be one thing.

" Where is Lan-Ying?" he hissed, and without waiting for a reply, began the journey to their room.

" Master, please, before you see her we must explain." Stein yelled, rushing to catch up.

Despite his efforts, though, Stein could not slow the emperor, and when he tried to get a word in, he was silenced with a sharp glare.

No matter what anyone told him, he would not listen to anything until he was assured that his mate was safe and present, were she should be. All else could wait.

Bursting into the room, he was met with Mao's calm features.

" My Lord, welcome back."

Chase ignored him, gently approaching the bed. At first, he was relieved to see Lan-Ying's sleeping figure on her usual side of the bed.

But, as he grew closer, he noticed the scratch marks, on both Mao's and her face.

He turned to his trusted advisor, waiting for an explanation before he lost his temper.

" My lord. There has been a change in the empress's state of being." Mao began.

With the general's pause, he reexamined his mate. There was indeed something different. Her energy was muted, tired. Lighter.

" And what exactly would that change be, Mao?" Chase bit out.

" As of now, we are unsure. Mr. Spicer and Lan-Ying were in here, playing a sort of game, from what I understand," said Stein, glaring at the boy who had dragged along with them.

All eyes turned to the human, who looked ready for the earth to swallow him whole.

" I -it was nothing! We were playing Goo Zombies 4 in here, which by the way I objected to because this is where you guys do the nasty, and she started losing it!" Jack offered, talking at the speed of light.

" Without any prompt?" Mao asked in an icy tone.

The human's face paled so much that his usual white face paint couldn't compare.

" I may have accidently called her Kimiko" Jack mumbled, hoping his words would be lost.

Unfortunately, all three men had supernatural hearing. The two feline warriors groaned at Jack's stupidity, but Chase's reaction was much worse. The roar that erupted from his throat was a sound no other creature could make. It was pain and anger and disbelief all in one.

" YOU WHAT." the dragon bit out once he could finally form words again.

" It was a slip of the tongue! I tried to cover it up, but before I could, she started screaming and tearing at herself." Spicer said, slowly edging to the door.

Chase turned back to the female on the bed. She looked so frail and helpless, nothing like either Kimiko or Lan-Ying.

" What happened after that?" the emperor demanded, not taking his eyes from her slumbering face.

" I gave her a mixture of tranquilizers and sleeping herbs. Just enough to let her rest until a plan can be made." Mao said, stepping away from the bed as his master loomed.

Chase stepped over to the bed, slowly crawling atop it, and cradling his sleeping mate's face.

" Spicer. I want you out of my home right this minute. If you return, I will eviscerate you. Stein, Mao, make sure he leaves, then get the palace in order. I do not want to be disturbed," he said in a tone devote of all emotion.

He did not see the relief that Jack had at being able to stay alive, nor his general bow and leave the room, locking the door on their way out.

Instead, all he saw were the long scratches along pale cheeks, chapped bleeding lips and puffy eyes from unseen tears.

Leaning down, he gently ran his lips over her cheeks, healing them. He gave her lips the same treatment, giving them a soft lick, before repositioning her lax body so that she was cradled between his legs, his arms pulling her back up against his chest.

Right now, his only comfort was her steady breathing, the rise and fall of her chest against his palms.

When she woke up, he had not idea what he would face. Kimiko? Lan-Ying? Or someone completely new?

 _It is too soon_ he thought to himself. He didn't have a plan for this yet, was not sure how to keep her with him. They had the blood oath she swore when she first arrived, but in all the years of knowing Kimiko, he knew that would not keep her from, at the very least, returning to assure her friends she was well.

And if she returned to the Xiaolin temple, he would never see her again.

_Unless. . . ._

The day faded into night, and as the hours grew, so did Chases plan.

Of course, it would only matter if she woke up Xiaolin instead of Heylin. He had to wait and see, so instead he curled around her and slept.

* * *

**_Meanwhile, at the Xiaolin Temple_ **

" I know what I saw," declared a voice, small but stubborn.

" I understand that, Omi, but what you saw was wrong." Raimundo replied, finishing the evening meal.

Clay sat at the table, watching the argument. The same argument that they had been having since they returned from their encounter with Chase Young.

" Just because you are the leader does not make you right all the time, Raimundo" Omi huffed, taking the seat next to Clay.

The Brazilian boy shook his head.

" Did I say that?"

" No, but you are acting like it. I saw Kimiko," the yellow monk said with finality.

Clay finally spoke up.

" Listen, partner. I know you miss her. We all do. And we are trying our damnest to find her. But looking at shadows will lead to nothing."

Omi shot out of his seat

" I saw no shadow! I saw Kimiko, with Chase. He has here, I know it and while you sit around and doubt me, she is trapped, with _him._ "

With that he moved towards the door.

" Omi . . . " Clay started.

" I am not hungry. Good evening"

The two dragons left stared at the empty doorway, before Raimundo turned to resume stirring their dinner.

" Rai. Maybe we should listen to him. It has been a bit strained here since Kimi went missing, so it couldn't hurt to look into It." the Texan said gently.

The leader just scoffed.

Clay approached him.

" I know that you having been feeling her absentence more acutely. But you have to look past your feelings- "

Raimundo cut him off with a dry chuckle.

" What about my feelings, Clay? What do you know." he bit out, his gaze never straying from his cooking.

The earth dragon set his jaw.

" Don't pretend that y'all are some big mystery. Your feelings for Kimiko have been obvious for years, and you think that her missing is somehow you failing to protect her." Clay backed away as the Brazilian whipped around to look at him.

" So what. You think you have it all figured out, but you are wrong. I love her, and everyday she is gone, I can _feel_ her getting farther from me. I can't . . . I don't know what to do."

A heavy hand rested on his shoulder.

" We will find her together, partner. You aren't alone"

The two lapsed into silence, unaware of the water dragon's scheming.

* * *

The empress slept for three days.

Chase did not choose to leave her side, wanting to be there the minute she woke up, but evil empires do not run themselves, and so he had round the clock watch set on her, with a feline warrior posted both outside her door and at her bed.

In-between his meetings and planning, he made sure to check on the woman. She looked so beautiful when she slept, and he tried to grasp on to these moments, for when she woke, their lives were bound to change.

Even if, by some miracle she did not retrieve her memories, he could not treat her like some fragile project, a secret hidden from the world. Their trip out to the forest proved that she was unhappy being chained to the palace.

An ache began to form behind his eyes and he let Mao know he was retiring for the night, heading to his chambers.

The door creaked as he entered the room, the only light being the glow from the fireplace.

The black hair girl slept in the middle, her hair cascading around her face.

Chase leaned over her, pushing it to the side and gently stroking her cheek. Looking down, he began running his hands down her body, feeling her soft curves against his palm. In the past days, he had be without her, and his mind conjured imagines of her warm body against his, her lips ghosting across his chest, the feel of her heat surrounding him.

After knowing the bliss of being with her, he would never give her up. Let heaven or hell fight him for her, he would be victorious.

Taking deep breathes, the dragon emperor willed his body to be calm. Being aroused did him no good at this time.

Yet, he saw no harm in a small indulgence. In a swift movement, he pressed his lip against hers, letting his tongue swipe across her lips to taste what he had been denied.

The jerking of the body beneath him, however, woke him from his fantasy and pushed him away.

The female lurched forward, breathing heavily, as if taking her first breaths after drowning. " Lan-Ying." He voiced, watching her movements.

She looked up at him, the same mismatched eyes glaring at him.

Her mouth moved, but not words came out. Chase moved towards the bed table, grabbing a glass of water and moving to give it to her.

She smacked his hand away, causing the glass to tumbled to the floor and shatter. Coughs raked her body, and the Heylin warrior watched as she clutched her throat. Grabbing another glass, he moved more slowly this time, approaching her like a wounded animal.

She glared still, but allowed him closer, his hand seizing the back of her neck and tipping it, so as to create a smoother pathway for the water.

Once she had drank enough to sooth her aching throat, he moved away.

" Chase." was the first word she spoke, visibly more composed now.

He did not reply, unsure of her state of mind, and instead moved to sit next to her on the bed.

" What is happening to me?" she asked, pulling her knees close and resting her forehead atop of them.

" You must tell me. I am not in your mind."

" Everything is so grey. I am Lan-Ying, but I am also someone else. Memories are invading me and it is confusing and painful." came her muffled voice. She then turned to face him.

" And you. You are confusing me more than anything."

Chase frowned. " Yes? How so."

" I love you." she said bluntly, stunning the powerful man in from of her. Before he could reply, though, she continued.

" But I also hate you. With every part of my being" a tear slipped down her face.

He moved to wipe it away, staring into her eyes.

" You don't have to, though," he whispered, cupping her face, " If you want, I can set things back. Rid you of those painful memories. We will be together again."

She shoved him harshly, glowering at him. He forced back a growl, but could not stop himself from grabbing her wrists and pining her to the mattress.

" Maybe I should rephrase myself, then. You are mine, no matter what you say."

She struggled against his hold.

" What did you even do to me?" she snapped, refusing to stop resisting him.

He threw her hands back at her in aggravation.

" I did nothing. It was your beloved Shen Gong Wu that did this. The Dragons Fang. I _helped_ you. Took you in when they turned against you. I gave you a home, trained you to be strong. I gave you _everything_ while they only took"

Chase began pacing the floor, his skin turning to green scales, his teeth growing into fangs.

" And why am I returned, then?"

His pacing increased, as well as his agitation.

" I imagine it is your body finally adapting to the fang. Its power was never meant for someone like you, someone strong like you. It is suppose to consume until there is nothing left."

The green haired man turned to her, staring her down as she adapted to the information.

After a beat, he barked out, " And now what will you do, little dragon?"

She bristled, finally arising from the bed, onto her knees so that they were face to face.

" I want to go home."

" You are home."

Their glaring contest was interrupted but insistent knocking at the door.

" Enter!" Chase yelled.

The door cracked to reveal General Stein.

" I told you I wasn't to be disturbed," the emperor said with a snarl.

Stein bowed quickly, glancing at the two angry occupants of the room nervously.

" I understand, sire. But an emergency broke out in the outer territories. We need your guidance before any measures can be taken."

The Heylin warrior sneered, but made his way towards the door, turning only when he was almost out.

" We are not done here," he said, slamming the door behind him, just in time to miss the water glass being thrown.

" Bastard." the woman whispered, before getting off the bed.

Her memories were returning, slowly but surely. She concentrated, sorting them out.

From her childhood with her papa in Japan, to being recruited to the Xiaolin Temple to her last mission, finding the Dragon Fang.

As she worked on blending her memories together, she also remembered all her time as Yan-Ling, Heylin apprentice.

_Holy shit I slept with Chase fucking Young._

The reality of her situation was much more complicated than just finding her way back to the temple. She had given her loyalty to Chase. Did it count when she didn't remember it?

She had to see Master Fung. That was her only option right now.

Looking around, she saw the balcony. Rushing outside, she examined the drop.

_I can do this. I have jumped from way higher._

Jumping on top of the railing, she looked for a place with better leverage.

Unfortunately, in her haste, she missed how her body began to heat up. Standing so high up, her head became fuzzy and the world spun.

Luckily, Chase Young was wise enough to know that to leave her alone was asking for trouble. Mao was behind to catch her before she even registered she was falling.

With little effort, he dragged her back to the bed, handing her the water before checking her heartbeat.

" Mao" she said weakly, gulping down the water, " What is going on?"

" The power in your body is fighting to take over," he said with a rush, taking out the black powder.

At the sight of it, Kimiko panicked.

" No, not again. Please" she pleaded.

" Just a bit, my empress. Just to calm you down" he said sympathetically.

She resisted for a moment, before finally sighing and swallowing a bit of the concoction.

" Thank you, Mao," she said, relaxing against the pillows as he bowed and left the room.

* * *

" How is she?" Chase asked as Mao slipped into the throne room. The Heylin emperor had just dismissed his troops and was finishing reading a scroll.

" Resting, but weary. Now that her memories are back, the magic will look for other ways to drain her. "

Chase was silent for a moment, before whipping the scroll across the room in anger.

Mao, cautiously, approached the throne.

" Sire. If I may?"

Golden eyes gave the feline warrior all his attention.

" The magic of the Shen Gong Wu is not my expertise. If she is to have any chance of surviving, I suggest -" The dragon man growled.

" No"

Mao sighed.

" Sire."

" Absolutely not. She is my apprentice, but more importantly, she is my mate. She stays, you will figure out how to heal her. " He snapped, standing to dismiss his aide.

" And if I can't?" The words give the emperor pause.

" If nothing I have can heal her, and she grows worse, you would rather see her dead that with the Xiaolins?"

Chase said nothing, storming out of the room.


	15. Take Me Away

A small shadow moved quickly through the dark. Every step he took brought him closer to his goal.

The night was cool to his skin, but the longer he ran, the warmer the climate got, signaling his approach to the Heylin territory.

For days, he had been biding his time, training with Raimundo and Clay, acting normal. After years together, the other monks had learned that, when he had idea in his head, he was bound to act upon it.

When he voiced his worries to the others about Kimiko's imprisonment, they had rejected him. In that moment, he knew that he had to take matters into his own hands. The others were suspicious, and watched him carefully, but after days of nothing, they finally eased up, giving him the perfect opportunity to slip away in the dark of the night.

Now here he was, almost to Chase's Palace. His plan was shaky at best; basically go in and demand to see the dragon of fire, but as the looming palace grew bigger, the young monk was questioning the intelligence of this move.

How many times has he come here, looking for Chase and been tricked or trapped? Walking into the literal dragon's lair was asking for trouble, and with Kimiko missing, the Xiaolins could not afford to be _another_ dragon down.

Yet, he could not wait any longer. Omi trusted his instincts and every fiber of his being was telling him that his lost friend was with Chase, for an unknown reason. Finally, he reached the outer parts of the palace territory, and saw that he had company.

Sensing an intruder, several of Chase's feline warriors were prowling the area, searching for their prey. The Chinese monk quickly ducked behind a boulder, watching the animals pass.

Searching his options, he saw his opening in the form of a low ledge, leading to a narrow window. The dragon of water checked for any threats, spotting a large white lion leading a group of cats to his hiding place.

Thinking quickly, Omi grabbed a rock, flicking it towards the other side of the palace, drawing the cat's attention. With that distraction, he was free to move swiftly to the window.

Scaling the wall like it was second nature, the monk easily reached the opening and slide inside.

There, he was met with silence, the torches on the wall giving the empty chamber an eerie glow.

He appeared to have landed in old storage room, filled with dented, bloody armor, dull weapons and broken furniture. Making his way to the door, Omi slowly opened the door, checking for more guards.

Chase's lands were in a permanent state of darkness, so the palace was always dim. However, judging on the quiet atmosphere and how many of the torches were not lit, the yellow monk guessed that the occupants of the palace were sleeping, and that it was nighttime for them.

Omi closed the door, giving himself some safety in the hidden room, and time to form a plan.

On one hand, if the household was sleeping, he had a better chance of sneaking around and not getting caught.

On the other hand, Omi could not interrogate Chase if he was not awake.

Making a call, the monk slipped into the hall and began to wonder.

A few feline guards roamed the halls, but they were easy to avoid. Not really knowing where he is going, the young dragon looked around, stopping at an ordinate set of doors. They were much nicer than the plain wooden ones that filled most of the palace, so Omi decided to start there.

The doors opened to reveal a large wall, leaving just enough room to move into a small hall, a light shining at the end. Upon further examination, Omi realized he was staring at the back of chase's throne room, a secret back path. Murmurs echoed from the end of the path, originating from what Omi guessed was the main receiving room, one he had been in many time before.

Creeping forward, the monk crouched down, stopping his movement so as to concentrate on the voices.

* * *

_In the dark palace._

_**Before. . . . .** _

Kimiko was not getting better. Everyday, Mao stayed by her side, giving her medication and monitoring her condition.

It had been a few days since her initial awakening, and since her first episode, she had been hard pressed to stay awake and focused. Her breathing was shallow and her body had difficulties regulating her temperature. Even worse, she had slowly been losing control of her appearance, shifting between human and dragon, shimmering blue scales covering her arms and stomach, sharp teeth filling her mouth.

On the rare occurrence that she opened her eyes, they were still mismatched between human and beast.

Chase was fairing no better, growing increasingly frustrated and aggressive as his mate's condition worsened.

By the second day of her bed-rest, he was livid, a nightmare to anyone he came across. His anger was taken out on his soldiers and subjects alike. Everyday that passed with no developments, the environment of the dark palace grew worse. Even General Stein chose to stay out of his way, letting Mao take the brunt of the emperor's displeasure.

" How is it possible that you have made no strides in healing the Empress?" he growled out, pacing back and fourth in the master bedroom, his gaze flickering between the miserable girl on the bed and his seated advisor. It was a conversation that they had many times over the past several days.

Mao, calm facade in place, sighed.

" This is not a common illness. Neither herbs nor medicine will cure what ails her. The power of the Shen Gong Wu is fighting to take over. Her body is fighting back, but it is an uphill battle. The only reason she is still alive is because she is a Xiaolin dragon."

Chase finally stopped pacing, striding over to the bed. Looking at the pale woman, he pushed away the sweat-matted hair and traced his hand from her fevered brow, down to the racing pulse at her neck.

The feline warrior stood, still as a statue, turned to allow his master a moment of tenderness with his mate.

The room filled with silence, tense and fragile. The noise that finally cut through was another racking cough from the female.

Mao moved to administer another dose of the sleeping drought, but Chase beat him to it, tipping Kimiko's head forward and coaxing her to swallow before gently pressing her back down.

Her struggled breathing even as she fell back into fitful slumber, and Mao could almost see the moment the fight left the dragon emperor.

" There is nothing else to be done, then?"

It wasn't truly a question, but the adviser shook his head anyway.

With every bit of strength that the ancient man had in him, he stood from the bed, regal and powerful.

" I need you to mix up some medicine for her. Enough to get her well enough to be conscious and moved from her bed." the emperor ordered, moving out of the room

" It will take a few hours, at most, sire. Will that give you enough time to make preparations?"

Chase Young stopped at his doors, hesitating to leave.

" There will never be enough time, but I shall manage."

_**Now. . . .** _

Chase sat on his golden throne, surveying the empty room. It was vast, gloomy and intimidating to make sure all who entered knew this was a place to be afraid and small. Chase had designed it himself, had ruled from this room for so long.

In all his years, he had never questioned himself or his life choices. A perk of the Lao Ming soup was that, when the person surrendered themselves to the darkness, to the Heylin power, they also surrendered the weaker spectrum of human emotions - doubt, fear, insecurity . . .

Love. . . .

Or at least, so he had thought. The time spent with Lan-Ying _-with Kimiko-_ had shown him that a part of humanity had survived and thrived within him. It was knowledge he may never recover from.

Golden eyes flickered over to the crystal bottle that he had been toying with. A bright blue liquid sloshed within it. The medicine was almost finished, only needed one last ingredient.

Chase brought his hand forward, ungloved, and nicked his thumb with one of his sharp fangs.

Blood bubbled forth, a red so dark it was almost black.

Tipping the hand forward, the drop dance down his hand, landing perfectly into the vile, turning the beautiful clear color a dark purple.

A scoff escaped the emperor's throat, echoing throughout the room.

How appropriate. A drop of his blood sealed her fate, binding her to him the day she arrived.

Now a drop would give her the strength to leave.

A brief twitch of his wrist would send the bottle crashing to the ground and this foolish idea would disappear. It wasn't right, but Chase was selfish and evil. He took what he wanted; the thought _' If I can't have her . . . '_ whispered in the back of his mind.

Knocking interrupted his musings, followed by the sight of a large white haired man entering the room, carrying the groggy Japanese girl.

The Heylin emperor waved his general forward, stepping forth to take possession of the woman.

Stein did not need to be told to leave, exiting as quickly as he arrived.

Chase sat back down, situating Kimiko upon his lap.

He let himself feel the comfort of her body warmth. If he let his desires rule this time, he might never feel this warmth again.

Before he could talk himself out of it, he opened her mouth and poured the liquid into her mouth. As Chase waited for it to take effect, he examined her closely. Because of her illness, her skin had grown impossibly pale and she lacked her usual glow. Still, she was radiant.

Kimiko was wrapped in one of her empress gowns, at his request. This one, a bright orange with gold embroidering, making her look like fire itself. She would be in her drab monk robes soon enough. For now, she was still royalty.

Suddenly, she stirred and groaned, blinking her eyes open to face the man holding her.

" Chase?" she questioned, her voice soft from disuse and fatigue.

" Hello little dragon."

When she tried to get up, he place a hand on her shoulder, keeping her still with little effort.

" Not wise. You are not well and any more exertion on your part may cause damage."

The stubborn dragon girl huffed, every bit the temperamental teen he could recall from years ago.

" What am I doing here, Chase?" she asked, already looking tired again.

Chase said nothing in return, instead leaning forward and capturing her lips, hand slid down and wrapping around her waist. He realized he was taking advantage of someone who did not have the strength to fight him, but he didn't particularly care. He would be without her very soon, so he wanted to savor her as much as he could.

Kimiko seemed surprised for a minute, but then pressed herself forward, moving her arms around his neck and digging her nails into the skin she found there.

The dragon emperor smirked at that. She may be Xiaolin again, but there was a mean streak in her that was all Heylin.

They pulled away from each other, but before the woman could speak, Chase grasped her chin, forcing her to look at him.

" Listen to me closely, dragon of fire. Soon, you will going back to the temple. The monks there will finally be useful and help cure you of this, " a noise that signaled her displeasure came from the sick girl, but Chase strengthen his grip to remind her that he was not finished.

" I am allowing this because if I do not, you _will_ die, and no one, not even death, takes what is mine. Make no mistake though; I will come back for you. Because you. Are. Mine." he finished, punctuating each word with a nip to the side of her neck.

Kimiko struggled against him.

" What if I don't want to come back? I am no longer Lan-Ying. I am a Xiaolin warrior," she challenged, sitting tall and looking briefly like her old self once more.

Chase's chuckle filled the room, and the warrior in his lap trembled slightly.

" I suppose we shall see. This is a warning, though, not a suggestion. I will come for you. Be ready." he whispered the last part into her ear before finally pulling back and falling into the mask of Heylin emperor.

" Omi, did those monks never tell you it is rude to skulk in the shadows?" Chase said, voice booming.

Kimiko's eyes widened in shock as the dragon of water crept forward, her expression mirrored by him.

* * *

Omi had struggled to hear anything Chase was saying. He was defiantly talking to someone, though.

The Xiaolin started to move closer, but fell over when he heard the Heylin call him out.

Having no choice, Omi moved to face him, and almost yelled at the sight before him.

Kimiko, sweet fiery Kimiko, was situated on top of one of their worst enemies. And she looked positively . . . evil.

Throughout the years, the female monk's style had change radically and frequently, but she never looked like this. Despite her brightly colored dress, her dark hair fell around her like a shadowy halo. She had scales trailing up her neck, and the slight gleam of white fangs could be seen. But her eyes, so big and confused, one the same turquoise he had seen since they had first met, the other a glowing bright blue, with an slit-like iris.

A whimper fell from her lips.

" Omi."

That almost broke the boy. She may not look like a Xiaolin Monk, but seeing her so fragile and upset, especially after being starved of her presence for so long, Omi knew it was her and that she had missed him as much as he had missed her.

He had never moved so quick in his life, climbing the throne of the Heylin Emperor with no hesitation.

Chase moved his hands away allowing the woman the freedom to lift herself up and away from him.

However, she was still very weak and would have fallen to the floor if Omi had not been there to catch her.

As she leaned onto him for support, he hugged her close to him.

Over the years, he had grown, and while he was still slightly shorter, he could give her the leverage she needed to stand without making her uncomfortable.

The water dragon glared.

" What have you done to her?" he hissed, never feeling so wronged in his life.

Chase rolled his eyes.

" I have kept her alive. I have helped her when you and your kind failed her. And now I am telling you to save her, save her from the Dragon's Fang."

Omi wanted to stay. To fight and demand he confesses what has happened. However, he could feel Kimiko's energy draining. He had to get her back home, back to the masters to be fixed.

" This is not over, Chase Young." he said, already moving away, unhindered by any guards or warriors.

An ominous **_" No, this is not"_** followed him out, echoing in his head the whole journey back.

* * *

**At the Xiaolin Temple.**

A flickering candle lighted the young monk's journey down the empty hall.

Raimundo slowly made his way through the temple. It had started to rain earlier, and the dragon of the wind thought he could calm his mind by watching the storm roll in.

Yet, in his walk, he was forced to pass up the empty chambers of Kimiko.

Unable to stop himself, he slipped open the paper door, letting the small bit of light stream into the room.

Everything was untouched, from the very day she had disappeared. Raimundo moved forward, sitting upon her bed.

Everyday that she was gone, he felt himself grow a little number. They were not supposed to have emotional attachments, as monks and as Xiaolin warriors, but he couldn't help it. What had grown from tolerance and a mild crush had bloomed into love.

At least for him.

When they were together, he was happier. When they trained, he could feel a rush of emotions when they brushed together and when they were out fighting, he could not help but worry about her a little more than anyone else.

He had been working up the courage to talk to her about it. If she didn't feel the same, then fine. He would try to move on, pine but accept she was happy. Yet, if she felt the same, they could work. They could find away to be together, despite all the rules and obstacles against them.

If only she would _come back.  
_

Choosing to stop torturing himself, Raimundo quickly left the room and made his way back to his own space.

His quiet sulking way interrupted by the rush of two of the masters past him.

The Xiaolin dragon began to ask what was happening, until the distant echoing of shouts rang from the front gates.

It sounded like Omi.

Running as fast as his feet could carry him, Raimundo almost collided with the hulking mass of his fellow monk.

" Something is wrong." Clay said, looking wild, probably having been jolted from his sleep.

" Hurry, it's Omi."

The two monks rushed into the rain, where a group of the other monks had gathered.

" Help. Please, help us!" Omi was yelling, his voice weakening.

"Omi, calm down. What has happened?" Master Fung asked sounding urgent.

" Kimi is sick. Something to do with the Dragon's Fang. Please, she is fading." the voice of the youngest monk choked out, tired from the journey.

Pushing through the crowd, Rai saw Omi kneeling on the ground, a black-haired figure tucked into his side.

" Kimiko!" Raimundo yelled, reaching for the girl, only to have her body jerk away. Through the chatter and murmur of the small crowd, the Brazilian man heard her sob.

" Don't look."

His heart shattered a bit.

" Kimi, come here, let us help you" he tried again, moving close.

His efforts were rewarded with her kicking out against him while burrowing herself closer to Omi, suddenly going slack as she lost consciousness.

Rai and Clay were swiftly pushed back as the elders surrounded the comatose body of the female monk and they moved as one; bring her inside and out of sight.

Master Fung hung back, assisting Omi up the stairs and out of the rain.

Turning to his pupils, the teacher sighed.

" I understand you are confused and eager to help, but nothing can be done this night. Go to bed, Raimundo, Clay. I will help Omi."

The leader almost choked in his anger, but as always, the earth dragon acted in reason, holding his friend back and bowing to the master, before pulling him away.

" You can't be serious. We have to help." Raimundo finally said, already scanning the hall for a way to sneak into the healing section.

Clay said nothing, trying to figure out how to calm the other monk. Being as tall as he is, Clay was able to glimpse at the scene while Rai was lost in the fray. He saw the fire dragon, saw how bad off she looked.

He couldn't let the unstable leader see her like that. Instead, he did the only thing he could think of to make sure the wind dragon stayed out of the way.

With a swift blow, Clay brought his hand down, efficiently knocking out the other man.

" Sorry, Rai. But it's better this way." he apologized, moving the monk back into his room, before settling himself in for a long, sleepless night.


	16. Home Again

Dim candles lite the large chamber that the monk elders had gathered in.

Close together in a tight circle, the men sat in silence, observing the scene in the middle.

The youngest monk kneed close to his friend, clutching her hand and wiping her forehead down with a cool rag, trying to not look as worried as he obviously was. On her other side, a small green dragon looked her over, lifting her hand, her legs, prying open her eyes so he could see the full extent of her situation. The examination seemed to drag on for eons, but finally, the dragon brushed her cheek fondly, before shifting away to address the elders.

" She had been scratched by the Dragon's Fang unknowingly, when they first found it. Its powers must have transferred quicker than usual, because of her Xiaolin Dragon status." Dojo began, unusually solemn, making the grim atmosphere even heavier.

The older monks nodded for him to continue.

" That night, months ago, when we thought Wuya had planted a dragon spy in the temple was actually Kimiko's transformed form. She was probably disoriented, and all the chaos most likely shocked her system. I can't know where she has been or what has happened since then, but her body has gone through some extreme circumstances, which cause the fangs magic to feed off her." the Xiaolin dragon finished, letting the information set in.

It was Master Fung that finally asked the question that had been on the tips of everyone's tongue.

" Can you heal her?"

Dojo looked back over to the girl, shaking and sweating on the cold stone floor. Slithering over to the man, he saw that the master monk held out his hand in offering, a glimmering fang outstretched.

The small dragon hesitantly took the Wu from him, studying it carefully.

" I . . . think so. She had been bonded with the Wu for an extremely long time. I will do all I can. But it is best that I have privacy." He said, looking all around.

" Of course." Master Fung said, rising from his stance, gesturing for the others to follow his lead.

As the masters filed from the room, the leader looked back, watching as Omi clutched her hand tighter, looking at her like she would disappear at any moment.

Fung opened his mouth to call the young monk away, but Dojo shook his head.

" Let him stay. The poor kid looks like he might break, and I could use the help."

The older man gave a slight nod, before leaving the room, the door echoing loudly as they closed.

The Xiaolin dragon moved back to the female's side, glancing momentarily at the dragon of water.

" Omi. This will not be pleasant. I have to separate Kimiko's essence from the Wu. Despite what I said, you might wanna-"

" I'll stay." Omi said mechanically, his gaze never leaving her face.

Dojo nodded.

" Alright. Then if you stay, you hold on tightly. "

Together, they worked long into the night, until the coming sunrise announced the end of their labor.

When the masters re-entered the chamber, they were met with the sight of the pale Asian girl sleeping peacefully, the dragon of water curled into her side while the small green dragon draped himself across her feet.

* * *

Raimundo woke late into the afternoon, groggy and with a large headache. The Brazilian boy groaned, clutching at a sore spot at the base of his skull, before noticing another body in his room.

" Morning, partner." Clay said, sipping on his morning tea before pointing to a steaming cup next to the boy's bed.

" For your headache. Sorry about that, by the way."

Rai glared at the giant Texan, but drank the tea anyway, slowly stewing over the pervious night's events.

As much as he wanted to jump to his feet and chase after Kimi, he knew already that they would be blocked from entering the medical chambers. They needed a different plan if they were going to see the fire dragon any time soon.

" I know that look, Rai. You need to stop. The elders will let us know when we can see her." Clay told him, calmly.

The Xiaolin leader clinked his tongue in annoyance.

" And you will just accept that? We haven't seen her in months, Clay. Then, Omi pops up with her, on death's door? They are keeping us in the dark and I won't allow it!" Rai shouted, pounding his fists on the floor. He scrambled to get up, but was held down by the larger man.

" Raimundo, I'm saying this as your friend and hers. Neither of you should see each other right now. Kimiko will let you know when she is ready, but any bullheaded move on your part may do more harm than good."

The green eyes dragon knew that he was right, but patience was never his strong suit. Still, he took a calming breath, relaxing in the earth dragon's hold.

" Fine. Can I at least get up for breakfast?" Raimundo sighed, watching as the Texan released him.

The two made their way to the kitchen, where the sound of sizzling food and dishes clanking together arose.

As they peered in through the doorway, they saw the youngest dragon member standing like a statue over the oven, stirring what seemed to be rice porridge absent-mindedly.

" Omi?" Clay voiced from behind, weary of approaching the zoned-out monk.

Raimundo, however, had not such qualms.

" Omi, you better start talking, and quickly, before I shove those chopsticks up your nose" The Brazilian growled, stalking towards the shorter boy.

Omi looked up in a daze, blinking slowly, as if suddenly remember where he was.

"Oh. Raimundo. Good morning," the monk turned toward the window, " Or is it afternoon?"

" What it is, is time to explain how you and Kimiko ending up at the temple in the middle of the night and what the hell happened to her" The wind dragon yelled, shoving the dazed boy into a chair, while he and Clay took the other two.

" Language." Omi murmured, not looking at either of his teammates.

They looked at each other, before Clay took over.

" Come on, little man. We need to know what happened. She's our friend too," he said gently.

Finally, the round-headed monk snapped out of his haze.

" I went to Chase Young. Like I told you," he began, drawing circles into the table before him, " She was there. Chase had her."

Clay sucked in a breath, while Raimundo clenched his fists.

" I'll **_kill_ ** him."

Omi shook is head sadly.

" I don't think he planned for any of this to happen. I caught . . . a bit of their conversation before he gave her over to me."

" Wait-" Clay cut in, " He just handed her over to you after all this time of keeping her prisoner?"

At this point, the Brazilian dragon was on his feet, pacing to relieve his anger.

" He knew she was sick and needed our help, so he sent her home with me."

" Just like that?" Rai bit out, still pacing and glaring at everything his eyes landed on.

Omi rubbed his eyes, and Clay noticed how tired the monk looked.

He leaned over, gently lifting the boy from his seat.

" Hey, buddy. Maybe you should get some sleep. You look like someone hog tied you and ran you down the fields."

Omi just nodded, yawning into his hand.

" Dojo and I were watching over Kimiko all night, to make sure the Wu's powers were retracted."

This finally caught the leader's attention, who rounded on them with his legendary speed.

" And?" he asked, eagerly.

Omi's gaze shifted from Rai, to Clay, then to the floor.

" The Fang no longer is feed off her."

" But . . . " Clay prodded, finally showing his anxiousness for news.

Omi sighed, rubbing head.

" She was bonded with the Wu longer than was ever intended. There were some . . . side effects, some of which we may not see until she awakened. Now, if you will let me go," Omi moved the taller boys aside, headed to his own room.

The dragons watched their friend walk down the hall, sliding open his door and not even bothering to close it before they heard the tale-tell THUMP of his body hitting his mat.

The two boys stood in silence, absorbing the information, before making their way outside, breathing in the fresh air to clear their clouded heads.

It wasn't long before footfalls sounded from behind them, alerting them to their master's presence.

" Young dragons. Good of you to awaken today." Master Fung said with good humor.

They bowed respectfully to their elder, but said nothing in reply.

" Go on, my pupils. Ask your questions"

Raimundo and Clay exchanged looks, before the bigger man stepped up.

" Will Kimiko be okay?"

Master Fung looked out into the hills, considering his words carefully.

"That is up to Kimiko. Dojo did all he could, and the elders are watching over her recovery, but only she can truly heal herself. We must be there for her as much as possible. There are grey clouds ahead in her future, young dragons." He said mystically, before nodded to them.

" She will call for you when she is ready. Till then, I believe there are chores to be done. "

The Xiaolin dragons sighed at their cryptic master before heading to the shed to gather their tools for the day.

* * *

It had been a long while since every muscle in her body had hurt like this. Probably since her first morning after she had arrived at the temple, all those years ago.

As it stood, she could barely open her eyes for fear that they would hurt.

Letting out a low groan, she braced herself for the onslaught of pain, steadying her hands onto the ground and thrusting her body upward.

A whimper escaped from her lips as she dragged her body into a sitting position. Luckily, someone had the forethought to move her sleeping mat close to a wall, so she was able to maneuver her body to lean against it, breathing a straggled sigh as she was granted temporary relief.

The cool stonewall eased her mind enough that she finally brought herself to look around, recognizing the tapestry on the wall and the warming candles around the room.

She was home at last.

Kimiko let out a dull chuckle, delirious from either the pain or all the events that had transpired since the last time she was in these halls. She lifted her hand to brush away her loose, sweaty strains of hair, but felt a rough texture against her skin.

Raising her hand, she was able to see the candlelight reflect of a few shiny, dark blue scales along the side of her hand.

Quickly, she pulled down her sleeves, looking over her skin, finding paths of small scales ranging from her arms, to her stomach to her legs and feet.

A golden mirror was suddenly shoved in front of her, and she jerked back, looked over to see a familiar face.

" Here. If you, you know, wanna see."

She looked down, before taking the mirror gently, with one hand, wrapping the other around the slim, scaly body next to hers.

" Dojo" she said, voice filled with unshed tears. Tiny-clawed paws patted her on the back in comfort.

" There there, Kimi. It's not so bad. Good ol' Dojo came through and fixed you right up. I'm sure the scales will fade soon."

She turned towards the hand mirror, finally taking a look.

Besides a few scales here and there, she looked back to her old self. No more mismatched reptile eyes. She parted her lips, moving to make sure that her mouth was fang- free, before examining her hands and her human-sized fingernails.

" Don't worry, my dear. Soon, this will all be a bad dream and you will forget all about it." The dragon said, before moving to exit the room.

Kimiko chose to not mention her hesitance to forget everything, or how she felt, for some reason, so lonely.

It wasn't until late into the day, just as the sunset, that the elders and Dojo gave her the all clear, meaning her body was officially in recovery. They said she could have the other monks visit her whenever.

She hesitant to call for them, though.

For one thing, she wasn't too fond of sitting around, while others treated her like an invalid.

For another . . .

She picked up the mirror for the third time that hour, looking at her face with a frown.

She could vividly remember a time where her whole body was covered in those scales, strutting around proud and bold. Now, a few spots across her cheeks, barely visible in the dim light, was taking all her courage and making her feel like an ache-filled preteen, hiding from the world.

This wasn't her. She did _not_ run and hide. She stood and fought.

" Dojo? Can you tell the guys I want to see them?" she called out, knowing the tiny dragon was posed like a watch hound outside her door.

" You got it, Girl!" he yelled back, and she heard him scamper off down the hall.

It took only a few moments before rushed footsteps echoed loudly, stopping suddenly outside the medical chambers.

She listened with a smile as she could hear them squabble about who would knock.

" Just get in here!" she called with a laugh.

The door creaked open, before three faces popped around the corner.

It took barely a second for two of the boys to rush forward, cocooning her in hugs and exclamations. Only one lingered behind, staring at her with a grave expression.

She giggled as Clay and Omi finally relinquished their hold on her, turn to gesture their leader to approach.

" Well, Rai? Don't I at least get a ' you have missed months of chores, so you owe me' smack on the head?" she asked, her voice still weak from exhaustion.

That finally made him crack, collapsing next to her, gathering her in his arms.

" I missed you" his whispered, clutching her tight.

She held him close.

" I missed you too. "

When he finally pulled back, he framed her face, finally taking her in.

Though he said nothing, the black haired girl could see his disturbance at her new appearance. But true to form, he swallowed his emotions, giving her a small smile and pulling away, starting to inform her on all she had missed.

They talked long into the night, before Master Fung call them away, saying it was time for her to rest.

Omi and Clay said their goodbyes, promising to come back as soon as the sun was up, before leaving.

The tanned boy lingered, however, kneeling down and grasping her pale hands.

" I am glad you are back Kimi," he said again, pressing a kiss to her palms, " I feel like weight has finally ben lifted from my heart."

She smiled weakly, before pulling away.

" I'll see you tomorrow, Rai," she replied, sending him off, then bowing her head to Master Fung before being left in her solitude.

Once the room fell into silence, she laid her body down, feeling tired from the day's events. It wasn't long before her eyelids fell heavy and she drifted off to sleep . . . .

* * *

. . . . and woke on a large, red silk bed.

The room was hazy, nothing really taking shape but the bed and a few black candles littered across the space.

As she lifted herself from the bed, she looked down, finding herself wrapped in an elegant, black silk kimono, golden dragons weaving themselves around her.

Turquoise scanned the darkness, watching as the smoking shadows shifted and moved around her.

" Come out, come out" she sang dryly, already feeling a familiar sense of heat around her.

A hand glided across her neck as she felt warm breath tickle her nape.

" Hello, my little dragon" a voice drawled form behind.

Kimiko sucked in a breath, wanting to both move away and lean into his touch. She laughed, not turning around.

" My my, Chase Young. Only a few days and you already miss me?" she teased. This showed to be unwise, as abruptly, she found herself forced on her back, pinned beneath a large growling man.

She took in Chase's attire, wearing only his training pants, and how his glowing golden eyes, narrowed at her as he bared his fangs.

" I see you are feeling well enough to run that smart mouth of yours."

She struggled against his hold briefly.

" I'm much better, no thanks to you." she hissed out, only to be silence by a harsh grip on her throat.

Chase's hand glided, from its place on her neck, down slowly, over her breasts and down her stomach.

" It's all thanks to me. I could have kept you with me. Mao surely could have kept you half alive for centuries." he purred, hand still moving down, down ,down to her bottom. " Instead, I allowed to you to return to your precious temple, because I was feeling gracious."

Kimiko squirmed, before rolling her eyes.

" What do you want, Chase?" she asked, tired of the pretense.

His answer came in two parts; the first was to crush his mouth to hers, biting and sucking in his rough, delicious way. She knew she shouldn't want to respond, but she couldn't help it. Muscle memory took over and she pressed back against him, letting out a quiet, breathy moan.

He heard it anyway, smirking into their kiss, before moving his mouth to her neck and biting harshly, to her protest, before he licked and soothed the wound.

Kimiko panted, losing the fight against her animal instincts.

After he was satisfied by his mark, he pulled away from her, leaning against her ear.

" I just wanted to remind you to whom you belong."

The fire dragon awoke from her stupor at this, kicking out until she was free.

Chase back away, still across from her on his knees, looking bemused as she panted, her long, dark hair falling across her face.

" I belong to no one."

A dark chuckled escape from the dragon emperor's lips.

" Whatever you say, little dragon. Now, it is time to rest. The faster you heal, the faster you can come back to me, my apprentice," he leaned close again, " my empress," he hissed against her skin.

Kimiko thrusted him away, and suddenly she was falling back into her sleeping mat.

Stunned, the Asian woman laid on her back, panting heavily as her heartbeat tried to calm down.

Her mind raced, so many thoughts and problems. However, the most prevalent one was:

" Stupid Chase. Now my sleeping mat is cold and uncomfortable. Asshole


End file.
